Players Warriors must move at 2024 NBA trade deadline

The Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship in 2022, but things have gone downhill since. The Warriors lost in the second round of the playoffs last season and now look to be in danger of missing the postseason entirely in 2023-24 amid myriad roster problems. Golden State is 18-22 on the season, which has them at 12th place in the Western Conference and has many calling for major changes ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

Draymond Green's return from a suspension didn't help in his first game back, as the Warriors lost in stunning fashion to a Memphis Grizzlies team missing most of their best players. This only reinforced the need for changes leading up to the trade deadline, with Stephen Curry the only player who should be safe on this roster.

New Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. must pull the trigger on some deals to shake things up. While trading Green or Klay Thompson would be a bit rash (though should be considered), there are two other veterans who should be on the move. Youngsters Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody could also be trade fodder, but the Dubs seem hesitant to trade them at the moment.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul was one of Warriors fans' most hated players for much of the last decade, but in a drastic turn of events, he was the main piece headed to the Bay Area for Jordan Poole. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had the vision for Paul to be the facilitator of the second unit, which worked at times given he helped stabilize things much more than Poole.

However, CP3 just isn't the player he once was, and other inconsistencies due to myriad lineup combinations Kerr has needed to implement due to unfortunate injuries and Green's suspension have caused issues. While Paul is still handing out over seven assists per game and barely turning the ball over, his scoring average has plummeted to 8.9 points per game on 42.4% shooting.

The small backcourt of Paul and Stephen Curry has also been an issue at times late in games, leading to many blown leads. And, now, Paul is out injured with a broken hand, so he can't even contribute on the court.

CP3 is making $30.8 million this season but has a non-guaranteed deal of $30 million next season. That makes him a valuable trade chip in terms of salary filler if the Warriors are looking to make a big move. Golden State should be seeking out a deal that can use Paul's big salary in order to bring in an upgrade.

Andrew Wiggins

In 2022, Andrew Wiggins was named to his first All-Star Game and helped the Warriors win a title, but his career has taken a 180-degree turn. Entering this season, he was still a starter, but Steve Kerr decided to remove him from the first unit at one point (he's back in the starting lineup now) because he was ineffective on both ends of the court, continuing a troubling trend from last season after a mysterious absence. The lack of hunger and determination has been evident since the 2022 NBA Finals.

After signing a big four-year extension in the aftermath of winning the championship, Wiggins' contract runs through 2027, with a player option in 2026-27 that will likely be exercised given his current level of play. He's making over $24 million this season and that number goes up each year, leading to that player option worth over $30 million.

Some are arguing that Wiggins has one of the worst contracts in the NBA right now, so Golden State must move it before it is too late. A move of Wiggins along with either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody might be the desperation trade the organization executes to give this iteration of the Warriors another legitimate chance of winning another title, but it's unclear if there's any interest around the league in such a deal.