NBA Trade Grades: Dallas Mavericks take flier on Willie Cauley-Stein
By Phil Watson
Warriors get out of a player option, get a late pick
The Golden State Warriors did not get a slam dunk out of dealing Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks. They hardly hit the rim, in fact, picking up a 2020 NBA Draft pick originally belonging to the Utah Jazz that would be either No. 57 or No. 58 based on Utah’s current record.
It does, however, give Golden State a second pick in Round 2 between 2020-26. Their 2020 pick went to Dallas in the Andrew Bogut trade in 2016, their 2021 and 2023 selections were traded to the New Orleans Pelicans to get the rights to Alen Smailagic in the 2019 NBA Draft and their picks in 2024 and 2026 are headed to the Atlanta Hawks in separate trades.
Their 2024 pick went to the Hawks for the rights to Eric Paschall on draft night last June; the 2026 selection was traded with Damian Jones in exchange for Omari Spellman.
The Warriors are also likely on the hook for their 2025 second-round pick to go to the Brooklyn Nets. Golden State traded a top-20 protected first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft as part of the Kevin Durant–D’Angelo Russell two-way sign-and-trade, but there is no way that pick falls to No. 21 or worse. Instead, it becomes the 2025 second-rounder that goes to Brooklyn.
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The Warriors, who were $5.91 million over the luxury tax line before the trade, get some relief from moving Cauley-Stein and what remains on his $2.18 million salary for this season as well as pushing his $2.29 million player option for next season onto the Mavericks.
This will also leave Golden State with the league-minimum 13 players on their roster, along with two-way players Ky Bowman and Marquese Chriss.
Kevon Looney was set to be the starter at the 5 this season, but his campaign has been wrecked by injuries. He missed training camp and the first 21 games of the regular season with a neuropathic condition and hasn’t played since Dec. 23 due to abdominal soreness.
Coach Steve Kerr told Logan Murdock of NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday he has no idea when Looney will be back.
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Looney has played in only 10 games this season after re-signing with the Warriors last July for three years and $15 million, with the third year a player option. It hasn’t been the breakout season Golden State had been hoping for, but it’s far from the only thing that has gone sideways for the Warriors in 2019-20.