Warriors GM Bob Myers was unusually candid in a recent radio appearance, explaining exactly what he thinks his rivals are up to at the trade deadline.
Appearing on a local California radio show, GM Bob Myers perfectly broke down why there has been slow movement on the trade front from all of the teams in the NBA. When on 95.7 The Game, Myers said “you’re seeing the parity” [between teams] causing slow trade movement. He later said that a lot of teams feel like they still have a shot and don’t have to sell just yet.
There are two causes for this — the play-in and the overall parity in the Western Conference. The play-in has allowed teams to think who wouldn’t have a shot at making the playoff before another chance to get into the postseason. Teams like the Bulls who should be looking at selling anyway can still hold on to a glimpse of hope because they have a shot at technically making the playoff via the play-in.
In this new format, teams are able to make the play-in at the 10th seed, extending the playoff race deeper into the standings. It is much more realistic that the Bulls end up in the play-in and the front office can at least say they made the play-in and not give in on their Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan experiment.
Parity is warping the trade deadline for the Warriors and the rest of the NBA
The other cause is no one in the West really running away with the conference. Yes, the Nuggets and Grizzles are top dogs in the conference, but seeds No. 3 through No. 10 are open season for 12 teams in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are below .500 and 12th in the conference but their fanbase is advocating for them to make win-now moves because the West is wide open. The Lakers are only four games back of the home-court advantage in the first round. In the west, there are only two teams that will not make the playoffs this season, Houston and San Antonio are the only teams that are nearly guaranteed to miss the playoffs this season.
A lot of teams are still trying to convince themselves that they aren’t sellers by this deadline, which is why this year could look so different than years past.
Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.