The Golden State Warriors are expected to be active before the February 8 trade deadline. They currently languish 12th in the Western Conference and will need a strong run during the second half of the season to secure a spot in the postseason. As such, there is a widespread belief that the Warriors could look to add some fresh talent via the trade market.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz proposed a potential trade that would send Kyle Kuzma to Golden State, Chris Paul to a third team, and one of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski to the Washington Wizards.
“These two front offices already orchestrated the Chris Paul-Jordan Poole swap, and could use Paul’s expiring contract (by finding a third team) as a way to bring Kuzma in now,” Swartz wrote. “Washington should have strong interest in players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis as well.”
Washington made their status as a rebuilding team clear when they traded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis this summer. As such, Kuzma is rumored to be available via trade. He would likely be a legitimate difference-maker for the Warriors. Kuzma has proven himself to be a valuable player who can operate on both sides of the floor and shoulder some offensive load when required.
This season, Kuzma is averaging 21.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range. He also has a defensive estimated plus/minus of -1.8, which could significantly improve on a more defensive-focused team.
However, it will be interesting to see whether Mike Dunleavy Jr. is willing to part with some of the Warriors’ younger prospects, given that they’ve all impressed this season. Whatever Golden State decides to do, they’re going to have some difficult decisions to make.
