NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State has an underrated target!

 

After spending the better part of a decade perched atop the NBA's hierarchy, the Golden State Warriors have backtracked into the league’s dreaded middle tier. Even worse, finding a clear escape route has proved notoriously difficult. While two-way superstar Stephen Curry clearly requires additional high-level offensive support to push Golden State back into serious title contention, the risk-reward calculations of a traditional blockbuster trade rarely deliver encouraging results.

Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will not execute a trade simply for the sake of making headlines, particularly given valid internal concerns about how far a star swap actually takes them. Because matching salaries for a top-tier superstar would require sacrificing core pillars like Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green, the Warriors have remained cautious.

The Alternate Path: Targeting Norman Powell

However, an alternate route exists. By targeting 2025–26 All-Star guard Norman Powell—who becomes trade-eligible on December 15—the Warriors could secure a high-volume secondary scorer without absorbing a bloated contract or liquidating their post-Curry draft cupboard.

Proposed Multi-Team Blueprint: • Golden State Warriors Receive: G Norman Powell (Trade-eligible Dec. 15) & F/C Jalen Smith • Chicago Bulls Receive: C Kristaps Porziņģis, G/F Moses Moody, G Brandin Podziemski & 2028 1st-Round Pick (Top-4 Protected)

Balancing Curry's Urgency with Long-Term Asset Preservation

External expectations for Golden State may have cooled across the national media landscape, but internally, Curry maintains an "absolute desperation to win," as he recently expressed.

This hypothetical framework offers Golden State a ideal compromise. Curry gets immediate perimeter support in Powell, who has averaged 20-plus points per game over consecutive seasons and earned an All-Star nod in his most recent campaign. In return, Golden State parts with only a single future first-round draft pick.

Crucially, the deal preserves Draymond Green—still the defensive heartbeat of Steve Kerr's system—and Jimmy Butler, whose postseason poise helped power the Warriors to the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals. Furthermore, it avoids shipping out draft equity that would convey long after Curry's retirement.

Roster Depth & Frontline Stability

The Warriors' rotational depth would remain remarkably solid. Guard minutes vacated by Brandin Podziemski can be absorbed by De'Anthony Melton and Brandon Williams. On the wing, rookie lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg—a leading scorer for Michigan's NCAA championship team—alongside Gui Santos and Will Richard, provides length while Moses Moody continues his knee rehabilitation.

Additionally, acquiring Jalen Smith gives Golden State a reliable, floor-spacing, shot-blocking big man to replace Kristaps Porziņģis' spot in the rotation.

While landing Norman Powell and Jalen Smith might not dominate national sports talk shows like a mega-superstar trade, it directly solves Golden State's half-court scoring stagnation. By adding a 20-point All-Star scorer while protecting their long-term draft inventory, the Warriors give Stephen Curry a genuine shot to contend without sacrificing the franchise's future.

Related Article: NBA Trade Rumors: New York and Milwaukee could discuss this trade?