The Golden State Warriors appear destined to be loading up on guards this offseason, having been linked to De'Anthony Melton, Seth Curry, Gary Payton II and even Malcolm Brogdon in free agency once Jonathan Kuminga's future is resolved.
Combine that with the potential of signing rookie Will Richard to the main roster and you have an abundance of guards to the point where something may have to give mid-season. In particular, the likely addition of the younger Curry could make one of Golden State's playoff hero's a trade candidate.
Seth Curry's arrival might make Buddy Hield expendable at the Warriors
Sharpshooter Buddy Hield has already surfaced in trade conversations this offseason, with the Warriors likely needing to sacrifice he or Moses Moody if they want to take back significant salary in a Kuminga sign-and-trade.
Golden State understandably don't want to do that right now, citing both Hield and Moody as key rotation players that will continue playing big roles under Steve Kerr next season. However, that could easily change once the season gets underway, particularly if Curry can come in and prove he still has some life left in him after seeing his role reduced over the last couple years.
Curry averaged 15.6 minutes with the Charlotte Hornets last season, shooting a career-high 45.6% from 3-point range on 2.7 attempts per game. Within a more potent Warrior offense and playing occasionally alongside the gravity of his brother, there's no reason why Seth can't shoot well in excess of 40% from beyond the arc in a similar 15-minute per game role.
That could mean bad news for Hield whose first season with Golden State ended in positive fashion, having stepped up in the playoffs which included his heroic 33-point Game 7 performance against the Houston Rockets in the first-round.
By his own standards though, Hield's 37% from 3-point range during the regular season was underwhelming particularly after his strong start. With only $3 million of his contract guaranteed beyond this season, the 32-year-old should be tradable enough as essentially an expiring deal.
With Curry, Melton and further development from Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors could become comfortable enough in their shooting guard stocks to see what they could get for Hield and one or multiple draft picks.
The Warriors will have to see plenty from Curry before they consider such a move, and Hield could of course play himself out of mid-season trade talks, but the front office might have to balance out the roster considering just how many guards they could have entering training camp.