The Golden State Warriors are fighting for a guaranteed 2025 NBA Playoff berth in a loaded Western Conference, owning the West’s No. 7 seed with a current 42-31 record.
The Warriors have received plenty of contributions from up and down their lineup, especially from the emerging young trio of Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Quinten Post.
Moody, specifically, has been an intriguing talent for Golden State. The two-way forward has excelled since the turn of the calendar year, averaging 11.5 points and 0.8 steals while knocking down 36.9% of his looks from distance in 2025.
As a result of his exemplary production while filling an important role, the Warriors’ general manager Mike Dunleavy could scour the trade market this offseason for a player of a similar archetype.
This search may lead him to contact the Indiana Pacers’ front office in an effort to acquire their surging forward Aaron Nesmith, who will likely be made readily available for trade in the coming months, according to recent reports.
“However, it is hard to imagine this franchise can keep its slew of secondary talent like Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin should (Myles) Turner remain in Indianapolis on a new deal that pays him around $30 million annually,” ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote Friday afternoon.
“These are the players teams are keeping a close eye on. Nembhard, McConnell, Nesmith, and Toppin have all drawn a considerable amount of trade interest over the last year.”
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To bring in the energetic and uber-efficient forward, the Warriors could offer Indiana a package consisting of Buddy Hield and their No. 57 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Trayce Jackson-Davis, whose role has been significantly lessened since the floor-spacing center Post burst onto the scene.
At just 25 years old, Nesmith has exploded as a consistent scoring option for a competitive Indiana group this season, contributing 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 steals on a ridiculous 62.7% effective field goal percentage.
Nesmith has always been a strong, solid defender throughout his first five NBA seasons, and one that could certainly provide assistance for the Warriors’ four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry on that end of the floor, but his massive leap as a scorer could be what propels the Warriors towards another title in the near future.
His remarkable athleticism and lights-out 43.9% shooting clip from three-point range this season could make Nesmith an incredibly attractive option for the Warriors this offseason, though the Pacers may have a steeper asking price in mind for the former No. 14 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
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