The Golden State Warriors flashed a brilliant start to the season, only to have their recent five-game losing streak undo a lot of that success. The team is now looking for answers on how to bolster their championship push.
After offseason rumors linked the Warriors to the likes of Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, and others, nothing materialized. However, they are still positioned to do damage on the trade market when the opportunity presents itself.
A name that should be available before this year's NBA Trade Deadline is New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. The former All-Star has been involved in trade rumors dating back to the offseason. With the Pelicans involved in a nightmarish start to the 2024-25 NBA season, it should not surprise anyone if they are sellers before the deadline.
Ingram is on an expiring contract and is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the 2025 offseason. If he is not a part of the future plans for the Pelicans, one would imagine New Orleans would look to recoup some sort of value for the star forward.
Speaking of value, Jonathan Kuminga has experienced a noteworthy decline in that category. The potential breakout candidate has failed to live up to expectations in the 2024-25 season. The lack of a rookie extension for Kuminga and his decreasing value could force the Warriors to reevaluate his fit amid one last push for a championship in the Stephen Curry era.
A mock trade between the two sides could include the Warriors sending Kuminga, De'Anthony Melton, Kevon Looney, and Gary Payton II in exchange for Ingram and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
The swap allows the Warriors to add another All-Star caliber player around Curry. Meanwhile, the Pelicans land a worthwhile young prospect and a handful of expiring contracts. One could argue that Golden State would need to add some sort of draft pick compensation too, but given Ingram's modest value, Kuminga may offer more than enough appeal to not have to do so.
This mock trade would not be able to go down until after Dec. 15, due to the trade restrictions around the recently-signed Melton. However, once that barrier is crossed, there could be more than enough reason for these two sides to pick up the phone and talk to each other.
