As the Golden State Warriors have recently expressed interest in trading for restricted free agent Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls, their offseason, in many ways, has been flipped on its head entirely.
Yet, their stated unwillingness to trade two players, Buddy Hield and Moses Moody, this offseason, could render them incapable of matching salaries in any potential trade, thereby ending trade talks before they have even truly begun.
While it seems wise to hang on to sharpshooters on a team whose offense is so dependent upon the perimeter shot, Giddey could be a massive difference-maker for Golden State, and the front office's stubborness could come back to bite them.
Buddy Hield and Moses Moody could prevent the Warriors' biggest move of the offseason
As sign-and-trade talks regarding Kuminga have wound down, the Warriors' offseason stagnancy can be attributed, in part, to their unwillingness to shop Moody and Hield: two of the team's most tradeable assets this offseason.
Now, NBA Insider Jake Fischer, reporting for The Stein Line, has noted that this hesitancy could prevent any trade for Giddey getting past the infant stages of development: "The Warriors' refusal to entertain the prospect of surrendering Hield or Moody in those circumstances are among the prime reasons that it's difficult to envision Golden State and Chicago ever finding common ground on a sign-and-trade construction that features Kuminga and Giddey switching teams."
Giddey, 22, would make an excellent addition to Golden State's roster, and a sign-and-trade swap involving Kuminga would simultaneously end the team's offseason woes and bring in a player who could help solidify their backcourt with his tremendous ball-handling skills.
Through 70 games in his first season in Chicago, Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists, shooting 37.8% from beyond the arc.
However, while Kuminga and Giddey will likely be receiving similar annual values on their next contracts, base-year compensation rules under the new CBA would require the Warriors to shell out additional assets in order to make such a swap work on a monetary scale.
Hield, who shot 37% from 3-point range last season, and Moody, who shot 37.4%, are certainly key pieces to Golden State's roster moving forward, but are they so valuable that they can't be traded?
Assuming that the team brings in veteran center Al Horford at some point this offseason, Draymond Green will likely be slid to the four-spot and Jimmy Butler to the three, thereby leaving Moody to either compete for the starting shooting guard position or come off the bench as a 3-and-D wing.
Hield, meanwhile, was an incredibly streaky shooter in his first season with the Warriors, leaving doubts as to his long-term viability in the rotation.
Nevertheless, it appears as though the organization is intent on hanging onto those two assets, effectively preventing any sort of deal for Giddey for the time being.