After getting out to one of the best starts of any NBA team this season, the Golden State Warriors have fallen on hard times. Once 12-3 and at the top of the standings in the Western Conference, they’ve since lost five in a row. They have dropped all the way to the 7th spot, in range for the Play-In Tournament, and face a tough upcoming schedule between now and the end of the calendar year.
Golden State Warriors May Need A Roster Shake-Up
Something needs to change. Applauded early on for their depth, certain players have suffered regressions since the hot start, and the loss of De’Anthony Melton has proved more costly than originally anticipated. And while the Warriors believe that they have the assets that they could use in a meaningful trade, some of those pieces may not be quite as valuable as they were this past summer.
OK, OK I’m going to admit it. We need a second option. We’re asking Wiggins to do too much. And Jonathan Kuminga isn’t ready for that yet and doesn’t have enough experience. Get Stephen Curry help.
— GSW Ball Report (@GSWBallReport) December 4, 2024
Golden State was rumored to be involved with plenty of different players during the off-season. Paul George was a known target, and Lauri Markkanen’s name was floated later on. But the rumored hold up was always the front office of the Warriors and their reluctance to part with some of their young talent, namely Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski.
The latter seemed to be more comfortable when less was expected. Podziemski factored into the Warriors rotation more than expected his rookie season. Playing mostly in relief of Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, he averaged 9.2 points on an efficient 45.4% shooting and 38.5% from beyond the arc in 2023-24, which was good enough to finish 5th in the voting for the Rookie of the Year award.
Both Kuminga & Podziemski Have Seen A Dip In Production
Things have been different this time around. Podziemski has still only started in 6 of the Warriors’ first 19 games this season and actually averages fewer minutes, but his numbers are down across the board. Not only has his scoring average dropped to 8 points per, but he is shooting just 39% from the field, including an abysmal 20.6% from three-point range.
Steve Kerr has noticed. After Golden State’s tough loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday, the head coach called out some of Podziemski’s questionable decision-making during his post-game press conference. The shortcomings seem to have affected his playing time, as well. After averaging 30 minutes per during the first 6 games of the season, he has hit that mark just a single time in the 13 games since.
But in terms of tradable assets, it was Kuminga who was thought to be the prized possession for Golden State. Most of the rumored trade packages had the then-21-year-old as the centerpiece, but the Warriors were unwilling to part ways with him after he took a big leap in 2023-24. His 16.1 points per game average ranked third on the team behind Curry and Thompson, this despite his 3-point percentage dropping from 37% to 32%.
•Trade Kuminga
•Trade PODZFind some better Talent
— Chef curry Parody (@baby_face_goat) December 4, 2024
It turns out that Kuminga may not be as valuable as Golden State’s front office made him out to be. He has been in and out of the starting lineup and Kerr has toyed with the rotations, and his scoring average is down to 13.8 point per. The three-point shooting that the team had hoped would improve is all the way down to 29.7%, with even his free throw percentage dropping to an inexplicable 59.2%. The team had hoped that he could potentially be the second-leading scorer on the roster behind Curry, but both Andrew Wiggins and Buddy Hield have higher point averages than Kuminga thus far this season.
What Assets Do The Warriors Have Left?
Now, with the Warriors struggling and a potential trade becoming more necessary by the day, the value of their assets is now in question. Aside from Kuminga, Podziemski, and future draft picks, the pieces that other teams may covet are limited. Wiggins has a contract that doesn’t match his output, and three of the top 6 scorers on the roster are well over the age of 30. Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis may be of some value for potential trade partners, but they’d be considered throw-in pieces if the Warriors were to actually pull off a big transaction.
The season is still young, and the trade deadline is still two months away. There is time for Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to improve their value, but getting back to their original trade value could be a hill too big to climb in 60 days.
