Golden State Warriors: Trade exception brings financial freedom

The decision to trade Andre Iguodala last season is paying off big time for the Golden State Warriors who will need his $17 million trade exception.

It feels like the basketball gods have been relentlessly punishing the Golden State Warriors for the last 12 months. Injuries to DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant, Cousins (again), Durant (again), Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry brought the dynasty to a grinding halt this year.

While the rest of the world was busy dumping on the Dubs, the front office was working to stop the bleeding. A quick decision to trade Andre Iguodala and open up enough cap space to complete a sign and trade for D’Angelo Russell could wind up being the best move the Dubs have made in years.

Russell’s time in the Bay Area didn’t last long but his trade value was enough to be flipped for Andrew Wiggins and a future first-round pick. However, the most important thing to come from last summer was the $17 million dollar trade exception the Dubs will have due to trading Iggy.

This extra wiggle room in the cap is going to be huge for the Warriors who are locked into multiple hefty contracts. Their only chance of adding more talent to this roster is through their trade exception and the MLE.

Focusing on the exception, there are a number of players that should be targetted. Veteran guys like Rudy Gay, Al-Farouq Aminu, and James Johnson come to mind first as their experience is something the Dubs need to bring to this young roster.

The Warriors could also aim big and package their upcoming draft pick with another player in order to make a splash this offseason. This is the more drastic decision but the possibility of trading for Bradley Beal or even Giannis Antetokounmpo is one that will always be fascinating.

Whoever the Dubs set their sights on this offseason, it’s obvious the trade exception will come into play. Trading Iggy has turned out to be a fantastic decision from the Warriors.