NBA Trades: Warriors ship out a struggling star in a potential swap with Pacers

The Golden State Warriors' season is quickly going the rails and it will take a lot for them to get back on track. To do so, they may need a big trade or two to rescue their season and there is no shortage of trade candidates for them to pick from.

One of the most obvious options is Andrew Wiggins, who has largely been a negative for the Warriors this season. Wiggins' play is definitely cause for concern, especially since he is in the first year of a four-year, $109 million season.

Given how underwhelming he's been for most of his career, it's becoming increasingly likely that his strong performance during the Warriors championship season in 2021 was just a fluke that got him paid.

If that is the case, then Golden State should absolutely look to move him, and they have reportedly been engaging with the Indiana Pacers about a possible deal. With that in mind, let's take a look at a potential trade between the Warriors and Pacers.

NBA Trades: Warriors ship out Andrew Wiggins in a potential swap with Pacers.

The hypothetical trade would see the Warriors ship both Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga to the Pacers in exchange for Buddy Hield and TJ McConnell. While the deal might not move the needle that much in the immediate future, it could pay off in the long term.

For one, Hield is on an expiring contract, while McConnell has one year remaining, meaning that they could get off of Wiggins' increasingly unsightly contract while getting two capable rotation players. Hield is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and McConnell has been a terrific backup who can both facilitate and hound opposing guards. As short-term additions, they're both fine and they'd give the Warriors flexibility going forward.

For the Pacers, they'd receive a recent lottery in Kuminga, who has played well over the last month and a half but has struggled to get out of coach Steve Kerr's doghouse. In Indiana, he could breakout with a bigger role. Factor in receiving a future first and they might be willing to take on the final three years of Wiggins' deal and hope that he can figure out how to be a positive contributor.

All in all, the Warriors are in dire need of an in-season shakeup and the proposed deal would certainly be that. With the trade deadline less than a month away, all eyes will be on Golden State to see what they do.

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