A new report claims that every Golden State Warriors player, except one, will be up for grabs before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
For the second straight year, the Warriors dynasty is in the midst of a highly disappointing first half of the season. Entering their game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, they are just 17-20 and a game and a half out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
However, unlike last year when they were able to rally around each other and have a strong finish to the season, there is less reason to believe they will be able to replicate that in 2024. Several key players — most notably Klay Thompson — are having down years, Draymond Green has been a massive distraction, and head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t seem to have the same magic as years past.
Following a blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans in their last game, top star Stephen Curry sent a clear message that change is needed on the roster, and now. That is why it should come as no surprise that it looks like an overhaul is coming in the next few weeks.
During a Thursday appearance on FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back,” NBA insider Shams Charania offered up a huge update on the organization’s plans ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
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“The mindset in Golden State right now is everyone but Steph Curry is on the table. Now realistically, there’s an asterisk. Klay Thompson, would they want to keep him long-term? That’s been their hope [but] they have not been able to reach a contract extension with him.
“… The front office, they’re big fans of Jonathan Kuminga, big fans of Brandin Podziemski, big fans of Trayce Jackson-Davis. But [Andrew] Wiggins and everyone on that roster except for Steph Curry has to be in play. … They’re going to be looking to make moves.”
– Shams Charania
With that in mind, let’s look at three players most likely to see their time with the Golden State Warriors dynasty come to an end before Feb. 8.
3 players the Golden State Warriors could soon ship out of town
Klay Thompson
All signs pointed to Thompson and the organization agreeing to a new extension before the start of the season, but then talks fell apart. With him looking very old and still believing he deserves a certain level of money this would be the time to trade the team legend. Yes, he won’t get the same value on the market as he would have years ago, but he has an expiring contract, and has a championship pedigree, so a contender could take a chance in the hope the future Hall-of-Fame sharpshooter returns to form just in time for the playoffs.
Andrew Wiggins
The current Golden State Warriors roster just isn’t going to work with Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on it. That’s why Wiggins will likely be the odd man out. With Kuminga being a cheaper option for a similar role, Golden State is sure to test the market on the talented defensive ace who proved he can be a key element of a title team.
Furthermore, it would be huge for them if they could get out from under the final years of the four-year, $109 million deal he signed two summers ago.
Kevon Looney
The Warriors have given Kevon Looney many chances to prove he can be the long-term answer for them at center. However, the 27-year-old has never taken those next steps in development during his nine years with the team. Looney has talent and there is sure to be another organization willing to take a flier on him to see if they can help him reach his potential with a partially-guaranteed year left on an affordable contract.