Takeaways from Warriors' Loss to Lakers: Injury Increases Need for Buyout Market Help

The Golden State Warriors got blown out on Saturday, losing 129-101 to the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center.

Playing without Stephen Curry (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), the Warriors (31-29) had major offensive issues, finishing 12-of-44 from three.

Luka Doncic led the scoring for the Lakers (35-24) with 26 points, while LeBron James and Austin Reaves chipped in 22 and 18, respectively.

Here are two takeaways from Saturday's game.

Richard's Injury Increases Need for Buyout Market Help

After playing five minutes, Will Richard suffered an ankle sprain and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

The Warriors were already thin on the wings with Richard healthy. Without him, their need for another one is dire.

Their solution in this game was to give two-way player Nate Williams his first NBA minutes of the season. And he did just fine, finishing with seven points in 14 minutes.

But the Warriors need another player, preferably one with some real NBA experience.

The buyout market is nearly totally devoid of decent wings right now. But that could change by Sunday night. A player must be bought out or waived by Sunday to be eligible for the playoffs with his new team.

There's a decent chance Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle gets bought out.

It's less likely that Clippers wing Nicolas Batum gets bought out, but it's at least possible.

If neither gets bought out, the Warriors can turn to Johnny Juzang, who was released from his Timberwolves two-way contract a week ago. They can also check in on free agent Georges Niang to see if he's nearing a return to health from his foot injury.

And if for whatever reason none of those options work for Mike Dunleavy Jr., they can take a flier on longtime Warriors nemesis and current free agent Eric Gordon.

The bottom line is the Warriors have an open roster spot and need help. They should use it ASAP.

Lakers Make Melton Look Overextended on Offense

De'Anthony Melton has done an outstanding job acting as essentially the Warriors' No. 1 option over the last 10 games without Stephen Curry. But two of his worst performances have come against the Lakers.

In the Warriors' Feb. 7 loss to the Lakers, Melton had just five points on 2-of-10 shooting. On Saturday, he had 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting. He was a season-worst minus-25.

The Lakers aren't a good defensive team, but they have put a good amount of defensive attention on Melton over the last two games, and it's worked.

Frankly, it's not surprising that Melton has struggled at times as a scorer and facilitator. His career averages of 9.4 points and 2.7 assists suggest he's not a No. 1 option.

Saturday's game is a reminder that even when Curry returns, the Warriors don't have the ball-handling and creating needed to be a strong offensive team with Jimmy Butler out for season with a torn ACL.

Warriors Make Bad Pitch to LeBron

There's been speculation that LeBron James could consider joining the Warriors next season.

The main points are as follows. First, the Lakers and James seem destined for an offseason breakup. Seond, James has been enamored with the possibility of playing alongside Curry. Third, James and Draymond Green are close friends.

Perhaps it helps that the Warriors made a push to trade for James at the 2024 trade deadline.

Who knows where James will end up, but Saturday's game will not help convince him to join the Warriors.

Of course, the Warriors were playing without Curry, which changes everything for them. But still, the fact that they offered no resistance will not help their bids to sign James and other free agents.

To be sure, a team led by Curry and James would be intriguing, and the prospect of getting Butler back too could make James think about going to the Bay.

But what's clear from Saturday and many other recent games is the rest of the Warriors' roster is lacking in a way that, say, the Cavaliers' roster isn't. So if James is looking for one last title push, he'll have better options.