The Golden State Warriors began their offseason knowing big roster changes were coming after missing the playoffs. Looking to curtail the team payroll’s rising costs, the chances of re-signing Klay Thompson appeared slim. Once the Warriors helped Thompson facilitate a trade to the Dallas Mavericks, they quickly sprung into action, adding Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and De’Anthony Melton to the roster.
What we didn’t see, was a blockbuster trade from Dub Nation, despite them being mentioned in several rumors involving big names, such as Lauri Markkanen. But it doesn’t sound like the Warriors’ failure to add a star player was due to a lack of trying.
According to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, all Golden State players, except for Stephen Curry, were included in the team’s trade discussions this summer. Yes, that includes Jonathan Kuminga, and even first-year pro Brandin Podziemski.
“There’s very few players in the league who are not talked about in trade discussions. Steph Curry is not being discussed in trade talks. Everybody else is.”
Steve Kerr on Golden State Warriors’ trade discussions (2024)
Even though young cornerstones such as Kuminga and Podziemski’s names came up in trade talks, obviously, the Warriors didn’t execute a deal involving either player. While there’s still plenty of time before the 2024-25 NBA season tips off, it’s hard to imagine either player traded for anything less than a star player.
Yet, it’s understandable that the Warriors would discuss trades involving Andrew Wiggins, who is entering the second season of a four-year, $109 million contract. Wiggins has a cap hit of $26.2 million this season, which is the second-largest cap charge on the roster, behind Curry’s $55.7 and ahead of Draymond Green’s $24.1 million.
Meanwhile, we’ll be interested in hearing whether Green addresses his name being included in trade discussions on his podcast. The 12-year vet may not like the idea of the only NBA team he’s ever known being open to trading him, but that’s the life for an aging star in today’s game.
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