The Warriors reportedly refused to part with Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski in trades involving Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this past offseason. However, the franchise has changed its stance when it comes to trading its young core, reports Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.
The Warriors' heartbreaking loss to the Rockets in the NBA Cup quarterfinal has reportedly led to the franchise "ramping up their activities on the trade market," as evidenced by the acquisition of veteran guard Dennis Schroder.
"There is certainly more of a willingness to discuss their young core of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski in trade discussions than ever before, sources said, opening several possibilities for how the Warriors could attack the trade deadline," Siegel wrote.
The report added that the Schroder move did not hamper the team's ability to make a blockbuster trade ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, seeing as they retained all their young core pieces and Andrew Wiggins' budget-friendly contract while only parting with the injured De'Anthony Melton and a few second-round picks.
As such, the Warriors are loaded with the requisite assets to pursue a trade for All-Stars such as Jimmy Butler or Brandon Ingram, or even a quality role player such as Cameron Johnson, all of whom are reportedly available on the market.
If the Warriors do part with Podziemski, it'd be a huge departure from their plans for the second-year guard. Ahead of the new season, Warriors governor Joe Lacob declared Podziemski a "future All-Star" and a cornerstone of the franchise. However, the southpaw has not lived up to the billing thus far, with his counting stats and minutes both seeing dips from his rookie season.
As for Kuminga, the fourth-year forward has shown flashes of why he was once considered untouchable in trades, but his inconsistency remains a big issue for the Warriors. Much like Podziemski, Kuminga has seen both his numbers and minutes dip from last season.
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