Warriors' Trade Assets Ranked: Players, Picks and Contracts

If the Golden State Warriors were to make a trade, they would have to give up something of value to get something of value in return.

This list ranks how other teams would value their assets.

Due to the Dubs' lack of young talent, it's draft-pick heavy.

I went with the top seven assets below. Just missing the cut were Moses Moody (due to his knee injury) and Jimmy Butler (due to his knee injury and expiring contract).

Curry in a Tier of His Own

Even at 38 years old, Stephen Curry would bring back a better combination of picks and quality players than any of the assets below. So in that sense, he would rank No. 1 on this list.

However, the Warriors have essentially said they won't trade him unless he asks out. With that in mind, I'm leaving him off the list.

1. First-Round Pick in 2032 or 2033

The Warriors will be past the Curry era in 2032, and at that point there's a decent chance they'll bottom out, even if team governor Joe Lacob is determined to avoid that.

The Warriors probably won't trade either of these picks unless they are getting a superstar in the tier of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic.

2. Yaxel Lendeborg

Lendeborg will be 24 years old when he makes his NBA debut, which will have some teams questioning whether he has much developmental potential left.

That makes his first impressions in the NBA critical to his trade value.

Some will say an unprotected first-round pick between 2027 and 2030 is more valuable. But I'm predicting that Lendeborg outperforms the typical production of an 11th pick and will look especially valuable to contending teams looking for positional size and quality two-way play.

Assuming he is immediately impactful, Lendeborg will be a bargain on his rookie contract that pays $28.1 million over four years.

3. 2030 First-Round Pick

This pick is protected from 21-30, which doesn't make it much less valuable than an unprotected pick.

Curry will be 41 years old when the 2029-30 season starts. That alone suggests the Dubs will be picking in the top 20.

What would make this pick more valuable is if the opposing team got a 2031 first-rounder if the 2030 pick landed in the 21-30 range. But for this article, I'm saying the opposing team will either get the pick in the top 20 or it will get nothing.

4. 2027 or 2028 First-Round Pick

The Warriors seem committed to contending for at least the next two seasons, but that doesn't guarantee that they'll avoid the lottery.

Last year they were committed to contending, and they finished 37-45.

Still, it's more likely these picks won't be in the lottery than the picks from 2030 to 2033.

5. Brandin Podziemski

The Warriors have to decide whether they are going to extend Podz's contract in the eligible window that ends on the eve of the regular season.

If they do, he'll become much more difficult to trade due to the CBA's Poison Pill Provision.

If they don't, he'll be a fascinating trade candidate.

Podz has value as a shooter, rebounder and team defender. But he isn't dynamic as an on-ball creator, and he isn't athletic enough to defend the best ball-handlers.

Due to those weaknesses, some teams might not value him that much. Others may see an opportunity to trade for him with the hope they can use his restricted free agency against him to get him on a bargain contract.

6. 2029 or 2031 First-Round Pick Swap Rights

Obviously, the trajectory of the team trading with the Warriors makes a big difference in how valuable these swap rights are.

An NBA title front-runner might view swap rights with the Dubs as nearly as good as getting an unprotected first-round pick. After all, going from the high 20s in the draft to something potentialy much better is worth a lot.

If the team the Warriors are trading with is heading toward a long-term rebuild, then the swap rights aren't as valuable.

7. Gui Santos

Santos is under contract for just $4.6 million this season and $5 million next season before he has a $5.4 million player option.

Just about every team would love to have Santos' combination of positional size, scoring and hustle off the bench.

His contract will be a huge bargain over the next two seasons.