Rarely does a loss carry much value, but the Warriors have plenty of reasons to be pleased with what they saw Friday night due to their shorthanded roster and makeshift rotations.

Every basketball voice on the payroll is surely hoping that a significant number of NBA scouts were in attendance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, watching closely, taking notes and loving what they saw of the Warriors in a 108-96 loss to surging Indiana Pacers saw.

The February 6 NBA trade deadline is still 27 days away and Golden State’s front office is ramping up its trade ambitions. The expressions of patience expressed a few weeks ago, which were justified, have waned due to poor performances, increasing the search for squad improvements.

At the very least, this game gave observers around the league a good look at some Golden State players who might not have been on the roster on February 7th.

With three starters – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins – unavailable and rotation players Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski also sidelined, Warriors coach Steve Kerr had no choice but to clear his entire bench and play for the best to hope.

With Pat Spencer, Gui Santos, Moses Moody and Lindy Waters III each playing at least 23 minutes, they managed to inch closer to victory before giving in to the talent gap in the final nine minutes.

“Great effort,” Kerr told reporters in Indianapolis. “The guys were shorthanded back-to-back and did a great job of really hanging in there. We just had to stretch a little bit, make three or four 3s in a row and get over the hump. I think it was 86-81 and we were right there. But (the Pacers) took care of business, wiped out some throws and couldn’t quite accomplish their goal.”

A victory for the Warriors was highly unlikely, but there was enough impressive activity to inspire encouragement or, far more beneficially, pique the curiosity or interest of potential trade partners.

Kerr’s postgame comments made it clear that he would welcome the addition of a big man to stretch the floor. The Warriors have expressed interest in Chicago center Nikola Vučević, who fills that role as well as any big man in the league and significantly better than anyone available for trade.

In addition to acknowledging that the topic came up in discussions with the front office, Kerr then spent nearly a minute praising the potential of 7-foot rookie center Quinten Post, a second-round draft pick who is a project , but has a nice touch beyond the arc.

“It’s something Mike Dunleavy (general manager) and I talk about regularly,” Kerr said. “We had people who helped in that regard, maybe not from the Fives (like Otto Porter and Beli (Nemanja Bjelica) in 2022). Both guys really gave it their all for us and you could feel the difference.”

Post played only seven minutes in the fourth quarter but scored six points – including his first NBA 3-pointer.

“When you see him get out there and clear the floor, you see the impact of having a big space,” Kerr said. “You just go pick-and-pop and suddenly the whole alley opens up. This is a beautiful sight for us. This is something we don’t normally have.

“We generate a lot of our offense through our movement and split cuts and stuff like that. If Quentin can continue to develop, he could be a real threat for us and give us a completely different look offensively.”

It is not an exaggeration to take four words out of this answer – If Quentin can evolve – as a plea for a big man who can shoot. Someone who can provide a dimension not available to primary centers Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney. Someone who can do immediately what the post office might one day deliver.

The 34-year-old Vučević is averaging 20.2 points per game for the Chicago Bulls. He’s shooting 55.3 percent from the field, including a career-best 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. He is one of four centers in the league to average more than 20 points and more than 10 rebounds while shooting at least 40 percent from deep.

The other three: Denver’s Nikola Jokić, a three-time MFP, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, a four-time All-Star, and Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, a three-time All-Star.

Adding a player who can make an immediate impact for the Warriors requires parting with some future draft capital and several players. Vučević is making $20 million this season, rising to $21.5 million in the final season of his contract in 2025-26.

Kerr envisions the offensive advantage that comes with a center who can knock down triples. It would make life easier for Curry and Green, two veterans who are certain to remain with the Warriors past the trade deadline.

The Warriors are hoping the players who competed against the Pacers were strong enough to make them more attractive to potential trade partners. On a night designed for defeat, at a time when they are actively shopping, this serves a purpose.

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