The Warriors are a team in desperate need of change. Stephen Curry's window as a player good enough to win a championship is closing quickly, and they don't currently have enough around him to get it done.
Golden State faces an uphill battle to even make the Play-In Tournament in a tough Western Conference. And the team is expensive, projected to pay $186.3 million in tax payments via Spotrac. There's not much incentive to tank given that the Warriors owe a protected first-round pick to the Blazers this summer.
So, how do the Warriors get better? Some more size at center and depth at the wing are priorities.
Here are some players Golden State could target, and what it has to offer.
MORE: Jonathan Kuminga's breakout has changed Warriors trade deadline plans
How many draft picks can the Warriors trade?
The Warriors can open up two future first-rounders to trade at the deadline.
They have one unencumbered first-round pick available, in 2028. They could add another pick in 2026 by amending the protections owed on their 2024 pick to the Blazers.
The Warriors also have three second-round picks available.
Warriors trade deadline targets
1. Dejounte Murray, Hawks
Salary: $17,714,000
Murray is the best player rumored to be on the trade market. He's turned into a good 3-point shooter, hitting 36.8 percent of his long-range attempts this season. And he's always been a solid scorer in pick-and-roll, both in getting to the basket and his midrange shot. He's averaging 21.5 points and 5.2 assists per game this season.
That ball screen-heavy style that Murray has thrived in isn't necessarily a great fit on the Warriors, but he does have a track record of success in a more motion-based offense dating back to his Spurs days. He was an All-Star under Gregg Popovich in 2021-22, averaging 21.1 points and 9.2 assists while leading the league with 2.0 steals per game.
Murray's defense has taken a step back since then. He's still a decent on-ball defender who can get in the passing lanes and help the Warriors improve on their No. 24 ranking in turnovers forced per game.
While Murray makes sense on paper, things are going to have to heat up soon for a trade to become a reality. The Athletic's Anthony Slater recently classified the Warriors' interest in him as "tepid at best."
MORE: This Dejounte Murray trade would fix the Warriors and Hawks
2. Bojan Bogdanovic, Pistons
Salary: $20,000,000
The Warriors need wing help, and Bogdanovic is one of the most talented scorers available there. The 6-7 gunner is averaging 20.2 points this season while hitting 41.5 percent of his 3s.
Bogdanovic is much more than just a shooter, though. He has a good post game and his feel for moving away from the ball is outstanding. He was part of some great Jazz offenses and had some phenomenal playoff performances.
Curry hasn't had enough scoring help this season. Klay Thompson is second on the team in points per game at just 17.3. Bogdanovic could give the team a more reliable movement shooter with better shot selection.
Bogdanovic isn't a great defender, but he does compete on that end of the floor, turning his game up in the playoffs. He's held his own in some surprising matchups, such as hounding LeBron James earlier in his career while with the Pacers.
The Pistons clearly aren't going anywhere this season, so perhaps the Warriors could pry him away with the right offer. It would probably take a protected first-round pick and expiring salary to get a deal done.
3. DeMar DeRozan, Bulls
Salary: $28,600,000
The Bulls are fielding calls on DeRozan, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. He could certainly help Golden State's offense.
DeRozan has taken a step from his All-Star form of the past two seasons, but he's still one of the best midrange shooters in the league and great at drawing free throws. That has helped him average 22.0 points per game this year.
DeRozan's fit would be a bit awkward. He plays best with the ball in his hands and his isolation scoring would be less useful on a team with such heavy ball movement. But he's a better passer than he's given credit for. He also wouldn't do a ton to solve the team's defensive issues, but he is averaging career-highs with 1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
4. Wendell Carter Jr., Magic
Salary: $13,050,000
Golden State has been hurt by a lack of size in the rotation. Kevon Looney has also taken a step back this year.
Carter would address a number of the team's needs. He's a good passer and screener who could fill that Looney role while adding some stretch shooting. He's a very solid defensive center who uses his 7-4 wingspan to protect the rim well. He's exactly the type of high-feel big man that fits perfectly with the Warriors.
Carter's season has been plagued by injuries, but he has been healthy as of late and playing fantastic. He's averaging 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds since returning to the lineup on Jan. 15.
That positive stretch has made the Magic more reluctant to trade Carter, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, but the team does have a glut of big men, so maybe he could be moved.
5. Kyle Kuzma, Wizards
Salary: $25,568,182
While Kuzma's reputation has taken a big hit this year while playing for a horrendous Wizards team, he's still a good player on a reasonable four-year, $90 million contract. He can get his own shot, as evidenced by his 21.8 points per game this year.
Kuzma's a jack-of-all-trades type of player. He's improved substantially as a passer, averaging a career-high 4.3 assists per game this season. He rebounds the ball well with his 6-9 size. While he's not defending at a high level in Washington, he has been solid on that end of the floor in the past.
There is going to be interest in Kuzma throughout the league. He's the type of talented forward scorer who is valuable on a number of playoff teams.
Ranking Warriors most likely to be traded
As The Athletic's Shams Charania stated last month, everyone but Stephen Curry is on the table. Jonathan Kuminga has been on fire lately, making him a little more likely to stay. But even he is available for the right package.
Here are the players most likely to be moved.
1. Chris Paul
Salary: $30,800,000
Paul has been essential off the Warriors' bench. He's clamped down that role and finally allowed the team to survive in its minutes without Curry on the floor. He has averaged a sterling 7.2 assists to only 1.2 turnovers this year.
The issue for Paul is twofold: First, he is a big expiring salary which could be used to match a better player's salary in outgoing trades. He makes $30.8 million this year and has a non-guaranteed $30.0 million salary for next season.
The second issue is health. Paul has had a ton of issues staying healthy in the playoffs. He's currently out with a hand injury that required surgery on Jan. 8.
If the Warriors feel like they can bring in a big piece, then Paul is the most likely one to go out in a trade.
2. Andrew Wiggins
Salary: $24,330,357
Wiggins hasn't been the same player since sitting out parts of last year with personal issues. This year has been a nightmare for him. His scoring is down to a career-low 12.2 points per game, and he's hitting career-lows in assists and steals.
Wiggins has started shooting the ball better, but his season-long marks of 43.7 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from 3 and 71.7 percent from the line simply aren't good enough.
Wiggins' contract makes him difficult to trade. He's in the first year of a four-year, $109 million deal with a player option in year four. But the Warriors need an upgrade from his position, and a team could take a flier hoping that he can return to his All-Star form of two seasons ago.
For what it's worth, coach Steve Kerr recently told reporters that he believes Wiggins is playing well and is hopeful that he will remain on the team after the trade deadline.
3. Moses Moody
Salary: $3,918,480
Moody has deserved way more than the 18 minutes per game he's averaged this season. But he seems to always be the odd man out in Kerr's rotations, and a calf injury has kept him out just as he was starting to hit a flow in January.
Moody is going to be an attractive asset around the league. The 21-year-old shooting guard does a little bit of everything, hitting 36.2 percent of his 3s for his career and providing good defense. He makes sense as an outgoing piece to add value to any deal.
4. Klay Thompson
Salary: $43,219,440
It would be painful for the Warriors to move Thompson, who has been such a vital part of their core. From a heartless business perspective, though, it makes sense.
Thompson is on an expiring $43.2 million deal after the two sides could not come to an agreement on a contract extension. The Warriors are a team already deep in the tax, and it's unclear what the summer holds for him.
Thompson also is clearly in a state of decline at the age of 33. His scoring and shooting are way down, he can only credibly guard forwards now and his issues with shot selection are getting worse.
Moving Thompson's salary could bring in multiple helpful pieces if the team attached assets to it.
