Glaring roster weakness shows why Warriors will be hesitant to trade forward duo

The Golden State Warriors redefined basketball over the past decade with their three-point shooting exploits led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Yet as that duo and the franchise in general get older, there's been a renaissance towards size and/or athleticism around the league.

The remaining playoff teams are littered with skilled size, starting with the Minnesota Timberwolves matchup with the Denver Nuggets that features the quartet of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid.

It's not just the center position where the Warriors are comparatively small, with 6'6"/6'7" guards in Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton also leading their teams to the second-round of the postseason.

The Golden State Warriors lack of size and athleticism should make them hesitant to move on from Andrew Wiggins or Jonathan Kuminga

Golden State did unearth size and elite athleticism in Jonathan Kuminga this season, giving the third-year forward increased opportunity that added a new wrinkle to an offense that ranked sixth from February onwards. Still, Kuminga is the exception rather to the rule in regard to the current roster.

Joining 95.7 The Game's Steiny and Guru on Thursday, The Athletic's Sam Amick spoke on the Warriors weaknesses that appear exacerbated by what's been seen thus far in the playoffs.

"The physicality, the defense, the size, the length are what's getting it done in the NBA Playoffs...The Warriors don't seem to have enough of that these days."

- Sam Amick

Adding more size and athleticism is something Golden State will need to address during the offseason, though there's a legitimate chance they'll move on from one of their best athletes in Andrew Wiggins. The 29-year-old's contract is expected to be the main salary filler in any significant deal, with The Ringer's Logan Murdock reporting that the Warriors will explore Wiggins trades this offseason.

As reinforced by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne earlier in the week, Kuminga remains near untouchable in trade discussions. However, if the franchise wants to add a superstar-level player in the coming months, it's likely the 21-year-old will need to be involved to make it happen.

Yet Wiggins and Kuminga represent the little athleticism the Warriors do have, meaning the franchise should be hesitant in moving either or both, particularly if they're not getting similar size or athleticism in return.

Wiggins' value around the league wouldn't be overly high, but he remains valuable to Golden State for this very reason. They can't afford to move on from him for nothing, with the likelihood that any Wiggins trade involves future picks and/or young players to find a genuine upgrade.

The Warriors won a championship two years ago based on skill, ball movement and execution, but trying to recapture that seems a futile option based on where the league has been heading in more recent times.