The Golden State Warriors will have some decisions to make over the coming weeks, with a number of movable contracts that could be dealt prior to the February 6 trade deadline.
A season-ending injury for De'Anthony Melton makes his $12.8 million contract an obvious trade piece, but the Warriors also have a number of other mid-tier contracts that allows for significant flexibility.
The Warriors could trade Gary Payton and/or Kevon Looney
Two of those players on mid-tier contracts are veteran duo Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, both of who could become useful pieces to match salaries in a trade. In a report on Monday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype listed Payton as a player to monitor if Golden State look for an upgrade prior to the deadline.
"Another veteran who could be dangled on the trade market as an expiring contract is guard Gary Payton II, who’s owed $9.13 million this season," Scotto wrote.
After back-to-back injury-hit seasons, Payton has appeared in all 20 games for the Warriors so far this season. He had a season-high 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, with his one miss a crucial 3-point attempt in the closing stages as Golden State lost their fifth-straight game.
While the 32-year-old remains one of the better perimeter defenders in the league, his shooting decline is becoming a big issue in terms of having him on the floor for significant minutes. Payton is shooting 21.1% from deep so far this season, having shot 33.6% from 3-point range for his career.
As a 3x champion and one of only two centers on the main roster, Looney may be the more unlikely trade candidate of the two. Still, it's notable that the 28-year-old had interest from the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason according to Scotto.
Looney wouldn't be untouchable by any means, but his leadership and locker room presence are also key factors beyond just his on-court ability. The 10-year veteran started at center against Nikola Jokic on Tuesday, fouling out with a 1:48 left as the 3x MVP finished with 38 points.
Any deal involving Looney almost assuredly having to include another center coming back the other way. Urgency on a potential trade has risen over the past week, with the Warriors poor recent record having seen them slide down to seventh in the Western Conference standings.