Most of the players on Golden State Warriors aren’t untouchable when it comes to trade talks. Stephen Curry is the obvious exception.
On Wednesday, head coach Steve Kerr appeared on the Willard & Dibs show and noted that Curry was the only player who the Warriors wouldn’t even entertain trade talks on this offseason.
“There’s very few players in the league who are not talked about in trade discussions. Steph Curry is not being talked about in trade talks. Everybody else is,” he said (49:00 mark). “And if you went down the list of NBA teams, the Los Angeles Lakers probably aren’t talking to anybody about LeBron James. Everybody’s got maybe one or two guys who are off the table. So the vast majority of the players in the NBA are going to be discussed in trade talks, because everyone’s trying to improve their team.”
The obvious subtext here is that players like Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, among others, could be moved if the right deal is presented to Golden State. That doesn’t mean the Warriors are actively shopping any of them, of course, but the team assuredly is trying to maximize the remaining years they have with Curry while he’s still playing at a superstar level.
It’s unclear how long that remaining window will last. Curry is 36 years old but had another excellent year in the 2023-24 season, averaging 26.4 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc while making an NBA-leading 357 three-point shots.
His supporting cast let him down, however.
Klay Thompson will be forever beloved in the Bay Area, but he’s no longer the elite 3-and-D wing of his prime, to the point that the Warriors asked him to come off the bench at points last season. A change of scenery felt inevitable, and he joined the Dallas Mavericks in free agency this offseason.
Green only played 55 games last season, in large part to a number of suspensions for violent conduct on the court. He remains the team’s defensive fulcrum and a solid playmaker offensively, but his volatility hurt the Warriors.
Wiggins, 29, averaged a career-worst 13.2 points per game last season and didn’t look close to resembling the All-Star who helped lead the Dubs to a title in the 2021-22 campaign.
And then there’s Kuminga, who has continued to take strides and is probably the team’s best trade chip (outside of future draft capital), but isn’t ready to be the No. 2 option on a contender just yet.
The Warriors have been linked to a potential trade for Lauri Markkanen this offseason, as he would be a clear offensive upgrade over the players listed above. He’d make for a nice running mate next to Curry, though he wouldn’t come cheap.
As the Warriors seek such potential upgrades, it’s inevitable that names like Kuminga, Wiggins and potentially even Green will come up. That’s life in the NBA.
