3 Warriors dream trade deadline scenarios that don't mortgage future
01/16/2025 03:11 PM
What the Golden State Warriors decide to do between now and the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline will have a drastic impact on what the future of one of the league’s most successful organizations over the last decade looks like for the foreseeable future. At 20-20 on the season, it’s clear to see that the Warriors need to change their roster to find more success.
However, this franchise is not ready to mortgage its entire future to make one last run with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr. Even these three made it abundantly clear heading into the trade deadline that the Warriors’ front office and ownership shouldn’t operate carelessly or with haste.
“The beautiful part about being in the space that we’re in is, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we’re going for it right now,” Green recently told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “Bad teams do that. Bad organizations do that. We’re not neither one.”
Curry backed up Draymond’s assessment of the Warriors heading towards the trade deadline, stating that there is a “responsibility” to keep the organization in a “good space” after losing 104-101 on the road to the Toronto Raptors.
This statement from Curry seemed to catch a lot of the league off guard, especially considering that the Warriors had been aggressive in their search for more talent dating back to the offseason. Lauri Markkanen and Paul George were two All-Star talents that the Dubs pursued in trade talks, and Golden State has maintained this mindset of adding more talent since acquiring Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets in December.
To hear Curry, one of the faces of the NBA, admit that the Warriors shouldn’t go all-in for him and Green near the end of their respective careers is somewhat stunning. After all, Curry was one of the main reasons why Team USA won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he is still playing at a level where he can lead a team to a championship.
While Curry still believes that the organization shouldn’t be reckless in their decision-making, he did clarify his recent comments by stating that anyone who thinks he’s alright being a part of an average basketball team is “insane.”
The problem with Golden State is that it doesn’t seem like they have the right players around Curry and Green to win another championship like they unexpectedly did in 2022. Kerr spoke about the status of his team recently, offering very similar remarks as Curry and Green.
“We're just in a really unique spot, in a really difficult situation, no one's fault by the way," Kerr told 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. "Steph, Draymond, and I have talked about it together. It just would be so irresponsible for this franchise to trade everything away for one final swing at a title.”
In the immediate aftermath of the Dubs’ 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Kerr made it clear that the organization is still doing “everything possible” to win and compete at the highest level.
“I hope there's not a misconception that we are not fighting and scrapping and hoping that we can do everything possible to keep this going, because that’s what we’re doing,” Kerr stated. “It almost feels like the narrative became the Warriors are giving in. We are not giving in. We're just not gonna give away the future.
“It’s two totally different things.”
If the Warriors aren’t going to sacrifice their future at the trade deadline to try and win during the 2024-25 season, that means Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski are all likely off the table as trade options. Kuminga is a completely separate conversation, as his upcoming restricted free agency will loom large over this organization and their future cap situation if the former first-round pick isn’t traded.
It would come as a surprise to many if the Warriors weren’t willing to do anything at the trade deadline and waste another year near the end of their championship-proven veterans’ careers. Golden State can still be a competitive team that makes the playoffs in the Western Conference, but they will need to make some adjustments at the trade deadline.
Could the Warriors pull off one of these dream-scenario-like trades to try and save their season without sacrificing their future in the process?
Warriors land two key Jazz contributors
Golden State Warriors receive: C Walker Kessler, G Collin Sexton
Utah Jazz receive: G Dennis Schroder, C Kevon Looney, MIA 2025 2nd round pick (Protected 31-37, via GSW), GSW 2026 1st round pick (Lottery-protected), GSW 2029 1st round pick (Swap, more favorable to UTA), GSW 2030 2nd round pick, GSW 2031 2nd round pick (MIN owns rights to swap)
Out of all the dream scenarios for the Warriors at the trade deadline, this has to be the one that would be of the most interest to Golden State both now and moving forward.
Walker Kessler was a first-round pick in 2022 and has shown tremendous growth at 23 years old. This season, he is averaging 10.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting a league-high 72.0 percent from the floor. Various teams have inquired about Kessler’s availability in Utah and have been met with a steep asking price, which is why the Jazz haven’t shown much interest in trading him.
The belief based on numerous reports dating back to the offseason is that it would take two first-round picks to pry Kessler away from the Jazz.
This isn’t a price the Warriors are willing to pay for a center. In this scenario, Golden State would have to hope that Kessler’s price has decreased. Again, this is just wishful thinking by the Dubs, as it’s unlikely Kessler will be traded in his third season.
From a pure talent and needs standpoint, Collin Sexton and Kessler are exactly what the Warriors should want at the NBA trade deadline. Sexton is a clear upgrade from Schroder, and the best part about acquiring the former first-round pick is that he’s only 26 years old. Aside from playing off the ball next to Curry right now, Sexton could be a guard Golden State looks to invest in for their future success.
The Warriors shouldn’t have a problem moving off Schroder and Kevon Looney for these two players, which brings us to the next talking point of draft assets. Would three future second-round picks, a lottery-protected pick in 2026, and a future first-round swap be enough for the Jazz? At the same time, would the Dubs even want to give up this protected pick since they don’t want to sacrifice their future?
Even though Sexton and Kessler are two players that would represent their future, there would certainly be some pushback in this scenario from both sides.
In terms of if the Jazz would even be interested, it’s hard to imagine Utah welcoming the Warriors’ proposal with open arms after the whole Lauri Markkanen trade situation from the summer. This is especially true if Podziemski, who the Jazz are known to like, is not included in any structure of a potential deal.
While this would be a dream scenario for the Warriors, the chances of a trade like this happening are slim. However, Golden State could potentially grab either Sexton or Jordan Clarkson for expiring contracts and second-round picks. Either move would be worthwhile at a low cost.
Is Nikola Vucevic the answer?
Golden State Warriors receive: C Nikola Vucevic, G Ayo Dosunmu
Chicago Bulls receive: G Dennis Schroder, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney, MIA 2025 2nd round pick (Protected 31-37, via GSW), GSW 2026 1st round pick (Lottery-protected)
The Warriors have long been linked to Nikola Vucevic. Whether or not the Dubs can strike a deal with the Chicago Bulls before another team does is the main question here.
Vucevic is in the midst of his best season with the Bulls, averaging 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 42.2 percent from three-point range. The 34-year-old center still has one more year left on his contract, hence why his value has been placed at multiple second-round picks.
Due to his abilities to knock down shots from the perimeter and be a double-double threat, Vucevic has emerged as the clear answer for the Warriors in the frontcourt. The problem with pursuing the Bulls big man is that he makes $20 million, meaning any trade to land him would likely take three players from Golden State’s perspective for salary reasons.
Looney, Gary Payton II, and Kyle Anderson have been the most common trade package floating around the league for Vucevic from the Warriors’ perspective in recent weeks. However, what if there was a path to Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu that presented itself to the Warriors? After all, Dosunmu could be available for the right price since Chicago has a lot of question marks in their backcourt.
There is no sense of direction for the Bulls right now, as Lonzo Ball is in the final year of his contract and Josh Giddey will be entering restricted free agency. Will either of these two be back in Chicago next season? There are also questions about Coby White and Dosunmu since both guards find themselves with just one more year left on their respective deals with the Bulls.
Decisions are going to have to be made over the next year in Chicago, which is why the Bulls could be inclined to listen to offers for Dosunmu if they can turn the former second-round pick into value. By sending Dosunmu and Vucevic to the Warriors in this scenario, the Bulls would be able to create immediate cap relief while also adding a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2026.
The Warriors would be protected in case they miss the playoffs next season, and they would create a buffer for themselves to be competitive during the final few years of Curry’s career. With this said, the Bulls would likely require further second-round picks from Golden State if they were to have serious interest here.
Again, the Warriors will keep an open mind about the idea of flipping Schroder at the trade deadline if they can land a better backcourt talent. Between Dosunmu’s ability to play on and off the ball, as well as be a scrappy perimeter defender, he would check off all the boxes for what Golden State needs at the shooting guard position.
Warriors maintain first-round assets with key secondary additions
Golden State Warriors receive: G Collin Sexton, C Chris Boucher
Toronto Raptors receive: G Dennis Schroder, MIA 2025 2nd round pick (Protected 31-37, via GSW)
Utah Jazz receive: F Kyle Anderson, C Kevon Looney, GSW 2030 2nd round pick, GSW 2031 2nd round pick (MIN owns rights to swap)
Out of all the scoring guards in the league that the Warriors could contemplate adding at the trade deadline, Sexton makes the most sense for a few reasons. Aside from the fact that he still has one year left on his contract and is only 26, Sexton’s price on the trade market has never been lower.
Once the premier name in trade talks for Donovan Mitchell, Sexton is now viewed as a player who could be traded for multiple second-round picks at this year’s trade deadline. For a guy averaging 18.2 points per game and who can play on or off the ball, this would be an absolute steal for any team from a pure talent perspective.
Aside from possibly upgrading Schroder to Sexton at the deadline, the Warriors still need to address their frontcourt. Vucevic would be too expensive if the Dubs were to acquire Sexton, and what the Washington Wizards would want for a player like Jonas Valanciunas would be outside their pay level after striking a deal with the Utah Jazz.
That is why Chris Boucher is a sneaky buy-low option for the Warriors, especially since his market is centered around a second-round pick right now. Boucher has been red-hot as of late, averaging 14.0 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 67.5 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent from three-point range over his last five games.
In this scenario, the Toronto Raptors would maintain cap flexibility heading into the offseason by adding Schroder, and the 2025 second-round pick they receive from Golden State would give Toronto three total draft picks in June. For the Jazz, Anderson and Looney represent two players they could easily flip for more second-round assets. A variety of playoff-caliber teams would express interest in both players.
At the cost of role players and second-round picks, upgrading to Sexton and Boucher would be two very underrated moves for the Warriors ahead of the trade deadline.
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