Warriors have centers to consider at deadline

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Its trade deadline week in the NBA, which means the reportsand rumors will come in bunches and from all kinds of sources. As for theWarriors, well, theyre in pretty much the same shape they were at lastseasons deadlineand the one before thatand the one before that.Theyre on the periphery of the playoff chase, and theystill need a big man. Question is, do they have the personnel andor thewherewithal to acquire one? Here is a look at five big men whom the Warriorshave inquired about over the past few weeks:--Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: Dependingon what day it is, Howard is either on the move or staying put. One day,reports surface that Howard wouldnt mind playing in New Jersey or with theClippers and the next there are stories about GM Otis Smith sittingtight.It seems apparent that Howard wont be coming to theWarriors, not that owner Joe Lacob hasnt given it the old college try. The Warriors just dont have enough to offer Orlando, and moreimportant, Howard has little interest in playing for the Warriorslong-term.Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks: Of all thebig men out there, nobody is a better fit than Bogut, though he is far from asure thing. He has missed most of this season with a left ankle injury, andhes missed parts of the previous three seasons with other injuries.There are parallels between Bogut this season and BaronDavis back in 2005. Thats when GM Chris Mullin acquired a disgruntled andinjury prone Davis from New Orleans, and Davis led the Warriors to the playoffsin the following year.Bogut is a good rebounder, good shot-blocker and excellentpasser. Its not that the Warriors wouldnt want him, its that they might nothave anything the Bucks want.In addition, general manager John Hammond is known to bevery deliberate and conservative, and moving Bogut would be a riskymove.Chris Kaman, New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets have reportedly cooledto trading Kaman, but the Warriors would have interestfor the right price.Kaman has only one year remaining on his deal, so he would be attractive as anexpiring contract. He could also give the Warriors a legitimate low-postpresence in the short term.However, the real question is whether or not the Warriorswould give up an asset for someone who might not be around long-term.Brook Lopez, New Jersey: There werereports a few weeks back that the Warriors had interest in Lopez. The askingprice would likely be Monta Ellis, and its unclear whether a deal like thatmakes the Warriors better. In addition, Lopez is expected to miss another twoor three weeks because of a sprained ankle.Looking ahead, Lopez will become a restricted free agent,which means the Warriors could try to make a run at him at seasonsend.JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards: Of all the centers on thislist, McGee is probably the most obtainable. Washington is a mess, and theWizards are willing to move everybody but John Wall.McGee is among the most athletic big men in the league, buthis reputation is troubling. He is a long way from reaching his potential, andthere are concerns whether or not he ever will.

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