Warriors enormous depth could leave them open to rival trade raids

The Golden State Warriors depth proved a major positive during the preseason, leading the franchise to a 6-0 record despite superstar guard Stephen Curry playing limited minutes.

But with the preparation period now out of the way, all attention turns to what Steve Kerr will do with the rotation come the regular season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. As the head coach put after Friday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, "literally every guy on our roster is capable of playing in the rotation."

The Warriors depth could lead to players becoming trade targets for rival teams

While selflessness and sacrifice should underpin any successful team, those elements may be more needed than ever at Golden State. Some players will be out of the rotation from game-to-game, their minutes will fluctuate, and Kerr isn't always going to get it right.

Accepting that reality could be easier said than done. There's no doubt that De'Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson all joined the Warriors this offseason expecting to play significant roles, while fellow veterans Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney are both on expiring contracts and are looking to increase their value ahead of free agency.

Then there's youngsters Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, both of who will want to get paid in the offseason if they're unable to agree on new deals by the extension deadline on Monday. If there's no contract extension and minutes continue to be inconsistent, rival teams could soon come knocking.

One of those could be the Charlotte Hornets who have been urged to monitor the situations of Kuminga and Moody by writer Orel Dizon of Swarm and Sting in a recent article.

It's highly likely that both Kuminga and Moody will choose to stay in Golden State next year", Dizon wrote. "However, it's only right for Charlotte to wait in the wings because some missteps by the Dubs could result in trouble in the Bay Area and viable free-agency targets for the Hornets in the 2025 offseason."

While Dizon mentioned it in reference to the potential free agency of Kuminga and Moody next offseason, there could be rivals showing interest before then and ahead of February's mid-season trade deadline.

Young rebuilding teams could certainly be willing to take a chance on the young fourth-year pair, while playoff-level teams may target the Golden State veterans who appear largely out of Kerr's plans once the season gets underway.

As Mike Breen and former Warrior GM Bob Myers mentioned on the ESPN broadcast on Friday, the Warriors are likely to be left with players out of the rotation that would otherwise play meaningful roles on most other teams. That could have rivals exploring trade interest, particularly if Golden State's leverage is dented by the fact they're not utilizing said players on a consistent basis.