The Warriors acquired Dennis Schroder in a blockbuster trade on December 15, but the franchise is not done making moves. According to general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., the team plans to be “aggressive” in trying to acquire a few more pieces ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.
According to Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has emerged as a potential Warriors trade target.
“Believe it or not, Kuzma actually holds a strong market as a secondary player who has proven to be able to lead his team’s offensive attack at times,” Siegel wrote on December 13. “The Warriors, Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons have all been linked to Kuzma recently, sources said. It is worth noting that the Milwaukee Bucks also expressed interest in Kuzma previously, yet it would be almost impossible for them to acquire him due to second-apron restrictions.”
“The Lakers, Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers are three other teams that have been in the Kuzma market over the last year, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.”
Other Warriors Trade Options
The Warriors would likely not have to part with any significant assets to acquire Kuzma, who is owed $23.5 million in 2024-25 and roughly $40 million over the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. The Warriors could theoretically just ship out Andrew Wiggins and a second-round pick to Washington in exchange for Kuzma.
However, if they were to target star players like Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram, both of whom are said to be available, the Warriors could be forced to part with Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and at least one of their three tradeable first-round picks, on top of Wiggins or Kevon Looney to match salaries.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks explained on December 16 that the Rockets, another team linked with Butler, has an easier path to acquiring the superstar from Miami.
“Luxury tax teams such as the Warriors and Dallas Mavericks would need to trade a quarter of their roster to match salaries,” Marks wrote. “The Houston Rockets, on the other end, would make the most sense because they have the contracts (Dillon Brooks and salary fillers), first-round capital and are well below the apron.”
What Will Kuzma Bring to Golden State?
If the Warriors prioritize a trade for Kuzma over Butler, there could be a lot of benefits. For one, Kuzma — adept at playing off the ball — won’t disrupt Golden State’s movement-heavy offense and would presumably fit into the second unit as a scorer. On the other hand, a player like Butler, who thrives in ISO situations, would need the ball a lot more and force the Warriors to change some of their actions.
Kuzma, a career 17.3 PPG scorer, played a critical role in the Lakers’ 2020 championship run when he averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 3PM off the bench. While he played only six more playoff games in the 2020-21 season, Kuzma will bring a much-needed veteran presence to Golden State’s second unit.
Warriors GM Dunleavy Jr. made it clear on December 16 that the Warriors were in the market for a player who can contribute right away, a description that fits Kuzma.
“We’re in a time zone here of maximizing our window with Steph, Draymond and Steve [Kerr] as our coach,” Dunleavy said, via ESPN. “So as proven here on the first day we could basically make trades with certain players, we did that. … For the most part I feel good about this team, particularly on the defensive end, and now we have a player that we think could create and generate more offense for us. I want to evaluate and see, but we’ll always be looking at stuff.”
In early December, Lou Williams also explained why Kuzma would be an ideal fit for a veteran team such as Golden State.
“(Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma) are better off being 2nd and 3rd options somewhere else. Very talented guys, but they’re not ready to lead an organization and it shows in the play.”
