The Golden State Warriors are indeed serious about their title aspirations this season as reports indicated that they tried to shop for a veteran that could play a big role for them in the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
Basketball Insiders reported that the Warriors made a strong push to trade Harrison Barnes before the trade deadline in exchange for a proven veteran, but no deal was reached before the deadline passed.
"Around the trade deadline, there was talk that the Warriors would have traded forward Harrison Barnes. Again, sources say that was driven more by ownership wanting to cash in some youth in exchange for a veteran big to bolster a championship run today," Basketball Insiders noted.
Barnes, who was selected seventh-overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, was viewed as one of the Warriors' cornerstone, but team executives are reportedly losing their patience.
The former North Carolina standout is averaging 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds this season, and his not-so-impressive production could convince the team to deal Barnes in the offseason, considering the fact that their ownership group is looking to contend for a title immediately.
"The Warriors want to win and they want to win big. Ownership seems committed to doing whatever it takes to get there." Basketball Insiders added.
Previous reports indicated that the Warriors offered Barnes in trade package for Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who was one of the most coveted players before the deadline.
However, the Raptors decided to keep Lowry for the rest of the season - a decision that worked wonders for the Raptors, who are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings with their 40-31 record.
Rumors before the deadline also suggested that the Warriors made a strong push to re-acquire veteran point Jarrett Jack, who bolted out of Golden State in the offseason to sign a four-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers allegedly wanted Barnes to be included in the deal, but negotiations went down after Cleveland and Golden State failed to hit a common ground.
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