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Golden State Warriors: Trading Willie Cauley-Stein should be a high priority

By Nathan Beighle

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 2: A close up shot of Willie Cauley-Stein #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on December 2, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 2: A close up shot of Willie Cauley-Stein #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on December 2, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors have several veterans on their roster that could easily find homes elsewhere, and one of them is center Willie Cauley-Stein.

There’s no denying this season has been tough for the Golden State Warriors.

They’ve seen Stephen Curry break his hand, D’Angelo Russell miss an extensive amount of games and Klay Thompson still not take the court. That’s all culminated into seeing their Dubs drop to the last place in the Western Conference.

Players like Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III, and Willie Cauley-Stein should be on the hot seat.

It’d be shocking if following the All-Star break all three were still on the team. Why keep players that one just one year on their contract remaining? The Warriors could get some value as the three veterans have each shown tremendous potential this season.

With the Warriors, Cauley-Stein isn’t getting the minutes he deserves. While being traded to a championship contender could reduce those minutes even further, it’s better than letting his skill rote away on Golden State’s bench.

The veteran 7-foot center is playing 22.9 minutes per game, down almost five full minutes from a season ago. His averages are also down tremendously, but his per 36-minute figures have held steady.

He’s still producing, but with the Warriors style of play, it’s better for them to play Omari Spellman or Eric Paschall at the five and just opt into a small-ball lineup. That’s what has primarily forced Cauley-Stein to the bench.

Golden State needed centers coming into the season, and with Kevon Looney have struggled to stay on the court, it’s shocking Cauley-Stein hasn’t trumped his minutes per game from last season while on the West’s worst team.

The Warriors need Burks and Robinson III to continue to stay competitive. They don’t need Cauley-Stein. That’s why his presence should be the first that finds its way to another team, and it should happen sooner rather than later.

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If you’re not going to use him and he still has value, why not trade him?

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