The Golden State Warriors are entering an uncertain offseason, as trade rumors have continued to swirl regarding the franchise’s young prospects Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody.
With the franchise’s 4-time NBA champion and 2022 NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry aiming for his team to remain competitive prior to the beginning of his 17th campaign in 2025-26, it’s very possible that the trio of promising young talents could be involved in negotiations throughout the summer.
As Golden State’s general manager Mike Dunleavy prepares for a massively important next few months, finding a more experienced wing (preferably with playoff experience) to replace either Kuminga or Moody may arguably be the team’s main priority.
If the Warriors plan on targeting a reliable forward at a discounted price, recent reports have indicated that the Dallas Mavericks could emerge as a suitable trade partner, as they may look gauge the trade value of their multi-faceted two-way talent PJ Washington in the coming months.
“With the incoming arrival of Cooper Flagg, teams are expecting the Mavericks to make PJ Washington available on the trade market for a rotational upgrade this summer,” Forbes’ Evan Sidery shared via Twitter/X on Tuesday morning.
“Washington becomes extension-eligible in August, which should bring a potentially strong market from contenders.”
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After making his first NBA Finals appearance with Dallas in 2024 and authoring a productive 2024-25 regular season campaign, the 26-year-old wing has proven to be one of the team’s most reliable players. Since Washington is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026, Golden State could swoop in and offer Dallas a package of Moses Moody and second-round draft capital to make a simple upgrade to their rotation through a one-year rental.
In 57 contests with the Mavericks this past season, the 6-foot-7 forward contributed 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while knocking down a respectable 38.1% of his looks from three-point range.
Due to his underrated athleticism and wonderful catch-and-shoot ability, it would not be hard to imagine a player of Washington’s archetype fitting in seamlessly as a member of the Warriors under head coach Steve Kerr.
Though losing out on a developing talent like Moody with two-way upside of his own would be a tough pill for the Warriors to swallow as an organization, Washington could be viewed as a clear improvement and a necessary offseason trade target, especially as Curry enters the twilight years of his illustrious career.
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