In the later stage of Stephen Curry's era, in these crucial months, all hopes, plans and line-up assumptions of the Warriors' 2024-25 season must be based on the following five reasonable preconditions:
1. All the hopes, plans and line-up ideas of the Warriors started and continued from Curry and Drummond Green, who have signed contracts for several years and intend to bring the Warriors back to the depths of the playoffs as soon as possible. Although Curry and Drummond did not make the Warriors strong enough in the past two seasons, without them, the Warriors could not enter the playoffs next season. This is still the age of Curry.
2. The Warriors can easily get rid of the second level luxury tax this summer, and even more easily reduce it to below the luxury tax line, but they can not spare enough space to provide any free player with the highest salary, and may even be unable to use the non luxury tax middle-class exception of $8.5 million. Their largest direct contract quota must still be the luxury tax middle-class exception of $5.3 million. This obviously greatly reduces the number of target candidates.
3. One of the first tasks of the Warriors is to re sign Clay Thompson, because the Warriors want him to stay. At the same time, if he leaves as a free player, the Warriors will lose his salary quota. Before the Warriors know about Clay's decision, his lineup/salary quota is locked. Even if he leaves, the Warriors' salary may not be increased unless a deal is signed - but even that is difficult to achieve.
4. The Warriors will seek to add young, tall and athletic players who are capable of both playing and playing. They need to be smart enough to cooperate with Curry in Steve Cole's system. The Warriors' lineup is becoming less and less energetic, which was proved by the previous sweep of Sacramento in the play off. Mike Dunleavy's first draft season, Brandin Pojmsky and Tracy Jackson Davis, are smart enough players to get a lot of playing time at the end of the season. Now the Warriors need some young players suitable for other roles.
5. They don't have their own first round draft right. This means that if they want to make a big move, the most realistic transaction assets of the Warriors are Jonathan Cumminga, Bojamsky, the first round draft rights in 2026 and 2028, and Chris Paul's $30 million contract that will expire next season. If this contract is used in the transaction, it needs to be converted into a guarantee contract first. But Kuminga and Bozimsky are already important parts of the rotation lineup and future plans; Unless we get a star player who is at the peak and has stayed in the team for a long time (unlike Pascal Siakam on the last trade deadline), the Warriors are not willing to offer them for trade. At least in this article, I will focus on Paul's contract and those two future first round draft rights.
What about Andrew Wiggins? Although his salary of 26.3 million dollars next season will help in the salary matching in July, I believe that the Warriors considered trading him last February, but there is a difference between his trading value and his actual value as the best defender of the Warriors. If Wiggins were to be traded, it might have happened.
The last important general premise: no matter what action the Warriors take, they are unlikely to become the top contenders alongside Minnesota, Denver, Oklahoma City or Boston in 2025. However, when Curry is still Curry, they will not completely overthrow the existing team. In this case, their most promising path is to improve the lineup and attack as much as possible through several solid measures, as Dallas recently introduced Derek Leffley II, Daniel Garford and P J. Washington is just as important to their current playoff journey.
Let's look at some names in general order of potential influence and express my opinion on the possibility of the Warriors:
Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George
The opportunity of the Warriors: very unlikely, although he will be very suitable around Curry, Drummond and Clay.
Contract status: George has a player option of $48.8 million for next season. He may refuse this option to sign a long-term top salary contract with the Clippers or other teams.
Age: 34 years old.
Overview: George is mainly a high-quality replacement for all big name players who may get top salary contracts, including LeBron James, Terence Maxi, Siakam and OG Annuobi, who are likely to stay in the existing team. I listed George because he is the most likely to change teams in this group, but I don't think the Warriors will participate in it. Although they have been interested in George from time to time for many years, the Warriors have no way to directly obtain a top salary free player. In the case of a signed trade, the Warriors' final combination - Paul's contract plus the two first round draft picks - may not be enough to defeat other top trade bidders. Moreover, PG-13 may no longer be at this level.
New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram
Opportunities of the Warriors: Don't rule out the possibility.
Contract status: only one year left, 36 million dollars. If he is traded, the team that won him may want to prepare a long-term contract.
Age: 26 years old.
Summary: The Pelicans seem to intend to trade after their first round defeat, and Ingram is their most likely trading partner. His age and player type are very suitable for serving as the second star after Curry, but the Warriors may be difficult to beat other competitors (need the contracts of Cumminga and Paul, draft rights and more), and also provide him with a top salary contract when the team knows Ingram. If the Warriors want to make the boldest attempt, it may be so.
Utah forward/center Laurie Markanin
Warriors opportunity: very small.
Contract status: 18 million dollars with one year left.
Age: 26 years old.
Overview: Markanin's skill combination (career three-point shooting rate 37.5%) is almost the perfect big man partner of Raymond, and Markanin is absolutely young enough to help the Warriors enter the next era. But if the Jazz put him on the market, almost every team would call. Unless Utah General Manager Danny Angie has the idea of falling in love with the Warriors' future draft right, this does not seem to be a successful trade dialogue.
Cleveland center Jaret Allen
Opportunity of the Warriors: Possible.
Contract status: there are two years left, and the annual salary is 20 million dollars.
Age: 26 years old.
Summary: Allen is not an ideal partner because he is definitely not a pitcher. But this is why the Warriors may have the opportunity to participate in Allen's trade dialogue. He can defend the basket at the defensive end and perform well as a pick and roll dunk. If Cleveland thinks it is wise to hand over the center position to Evan Mobley, the Warriors should definitely be interested - and then worry about space. But is it worth giving up Cumminga and the draft right for this opportunity? Maybe it's just for the chance to let Curry, Drummond and Allen participate in several playoffs together.
Brooklyn striker Michal Bridges
The opportunity of the Warriors: Not much.
Contract status: there are two years left. Next year, 23.3 million dollars, and the 2025-26 season, 24.9 million dollars.
Age: 27 years old.
Summary: If the value of Wiggins is enough to allow Brooklyn to obtain more draft rights, it will be more feasible for the Warriors. And Bridges can directly serve as the number one defender of the Warriors at a very reasonable salary. But... no, this is the value of Wiggins. Just to start the dialogue, the Warriors may need to provide Kumingaga draft rights and more. I'm not sure they will do this for a player whose offensive performance seems to have stalled.
Atalanta defender De Zhangtai Murray
Warriors' chance: slightly higher than small.
Contract status: there are four years left. Next year, $25.5 million, $27.5 million in the 2025-26 season, $29.5 million in the 2026-27 season, and $31.5 million in the 2027-28 season.
Age: 27 years old.
Summary: If the Hawks decide to split the lineup, Murray will be more suitable for the Warriors (and most teams) than Trey Young, especially as a potential backcourt partner of Curry. But the Warriors will face the same dilemma as the Hawks two years ago - do you really want to consume the best trading assets for an auxiliary player—— And don't want to end up like the Hawks.
Miami forward Taylor Hiro
Warriors' chance: small.
Contract status: there are three years left, 29 million dollars next year, 31 million dollars in the 2025-26 season, and 33 million dollars in the 2026-27 season.
Age: 24 years old.
Summary: According to Jimmy Butler, the Heat may also be in the trading mode, and Shiloh is the asset they are most willing to trade. But I can't see the match with the Warriors' trade. The Warriors are unlikely to give up a large piece of future assets for a player with high salary and low sense of defensive presence.
Milwaukee center Brooke Lopez
Opportunities of the Warriors: Don't rule out the possibility.
Contract status: One year left, 23 million US dollars.
Age: 36 years old.
Summary: I don't think the Warriors will look for players in their 30s, but Lopez's three-point shooting and top defense make him special in this situation. If Milwaukee decides to break up its core lineup, it may be possible to reach some kind of feasible deal. Kevin Lucagary Payton II plus a draft right may be close, but it is not suitable.
Indiana Center Jay Smith
The opportunity of the Warriors: a little interesting.
Contract status: There is a $5.4 million player option, and he may refuse to seek a long-term contract.
Age: 24 years old.
Overview: The Phoenix Suns' first round draft right in 2020 performed well for the Pacers this season, with a three-point shooting rate of 42.4%, but was removed from the rotation lineup in the playoffs. If the Warriors can sign him for three years as a middle-class exception, he may become the new Otto Porter, but with more money and less wear and tear.
Toronto forward Bruce Brown
Opportunity of the Warriors: feasible.
Contract Status: There is a $23 million team option.
Age: 27 years old.
Summary: I'm not sure whether the Raptors want to keep this salary on the account, so maybe the Warriors can make a reliable trade offer. Will Raptors accept Mosey Moody and the first round draft right in 2028 for Brown? Would a warrior do that?
Oklahoma City defender Isaiah Joe
Warriors opportunity: very small.
Contract status: There is a $2.1 million team option that is likely to be retained. But Oklahoma City faces some salary pressure.
Age: 24 years old.
Summary: When the Thunder Team is on the verge of greatness, will they let such an excellent young pitcher leave? Well, the same team facilitated Dallas' trade with Derek Leffley and Daniel Garford, so who knows. Generally speaking, I don't think Joe will go anywhere. But if I were the Warriors, I would try this possibility.
Merton
The opportunity of the Warriors: depending on the market.
Contract status: unrestricted free agent.
Age: 25 years old.
Overview: I always think that Merton is strangely underestimated. Now he will enter the market, so let's see what will happen this time. He should at least be able to obtain a non luxury tax middle exception contract. But if Melton is destined to get a low level middle-class exception, he is almost the perfect candidate for the Warriors as the seventh or eighth person. The Warriors really need a tough shooting guard.
Some big name players who may transfer but have little chance to join the Warriors this summer:
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland of Cleveland (it's hard to see their trade match with the Warriors), Butler of Miami (may not be on his timeline), Carl Anthony Downes of Minnesota (the Timberwolves will keep this team), Michael Potter and Aaron Gordon of Denver (inappropriate), Malik Munk of Sacramento (who may go to other places as a free player), Julius Randall of the Knicks (inappropriate), Tobias Harris of Philadelphia (unacceptable) and Josh Giddy of Oklahoma City (inappropriate).
