The Warriors have some difficult decisions to make as the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline looms.
Golden State has a number of issues that likely won't be fixed with just one deal, from rotation uncertainty to defensive struggles to playing time concerns -- but there's one transaction other teams around the league reportedly are banking on from the Warriors.
"When I talk to other teams more and more, I'm hearing that there's an anticipation now that the Warriors will be open to trading Andrew Wiggins because Wiggins and [Jonathan] Kuminga, when they've played together, the Warriors would be the first to tell you it hasn't gone well," NBA insider Marc Stein said on Monday's episode of the "#thisleague UNCUT" podcast.
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Wiggins is in the midst of another underperforming season and had lost his spot in the starting lineup before the Warriors' 133-118 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at Chase Center. The former NBA All-Star was back in the starting five but finished the game with just three points in 17 minutes, shooting 1 of 6 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range.
Kuminga started Sunday's game, too, after he and coach Steve Kerr smoothed over any concerns about his playing time. After the loss, Kerr said the lineup with Kuminga and Wiggins "didn't click." While a Wiggins trade would clear a path for Kuminga to benefit from a larger Warriors role, Stein foresees a difficult market for the struggling Golden State veteran.
"Wiggins, on one hand, you say, OK, this guy has a pretty trade-friendly contract," Stein said. "He's in year one of a deal ... That's a very tradable contract in today's NBA for a very good player. But Wiggins had a down season last season and this season, he's lost his place in the starting lineup.
"So what kind of market do the Warriors even have for Wiggins at this point?"
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It certainly could prove difficult for Golden State to move Wiggins. Meanwhile, the Warriors reportedly are "loath" to trade Kuminga in a potential trade package for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Warriors, who entered the season in win-now mode seeking another NBA title for their championship core. And while it's clear some kind of move must be made to achieve that goal, exactly how Golden State approaches the trade deadline remains to be seen.
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