In just a few days, the Golden State Warriors will finally be able to trade Jonathan Kuminga. The young forward hasn't played in some time, and the franchise can move on from a relationship that just hasn't worked out despite both sides trying to make it work.
Kuminga is assuredly gone, but what other Warriors players could be on the move? Outside of the "Big Three" of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, there are likely no untouchables for the team in trade talks.
However, when thinking about who is most likely to be dealt away, shooting guard Buddy Hield certainly feels like a player Golden State could be willing to move on from.
Warriors may move on from Buddy Hield as well as Jonathan Kuminga
Given the fact that Hield has struggled this year, and the fact that he's a veteran with a mid-tier contract that could help the Warriors pair up salaries in a potential trade, he's quite simply more expendable than other players on the team.
Hield is shooting 41.8% from he field and a career-low 32.7% from three-point range. Since so much of Hield's value comes from being able to shoot from three, the fact that he has not been his usual self beyond the arc is why head coach Steve Kerr has had no choice but to play him less.
One might argue that other players like Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody are in a similar boat given their inconsistency, but they are younger and have more upside which means the Warriors may not give up on the them yet. In the case of Podziemski, he's also on much less money and is therefore less useful from a salary-matching standpoint.
Golden State might end up pairing Hield and Kuminga in some sort of trade so their combined salary could roughly match that of a returning player. It would be a shame to see Hield leave because he truly has had some great moments in a Warriors uniform, including coming up clutch last postseason in Game 7 against the Houston Rockets.
He also developed a charming frenemy relationship with Jimmy Butler as the two like to bicker with and tease one another. Their joint press conferences last season were a delight, and Hield is still bringing something to the team through his persona and energy even when not on the floor.
No one could ever argue that Hield is not a great teammate or a good dude, but it just seems like he may be on his way out of the Warriors as a trade involving Kuminga feels imminent.