Golden State Warriors: Top trade candidates before 2019 deadline

2. PF Kevon Looney

Surprisingly, the Warriors have a loaded frontcourt right now. Especially once Cousins begins suiting up again, it’s going to be difficult to find minutes at the 4 and 5 spots. That’s largely why Kevon Looney could soon find himself on the block.

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The Warriors already have Draymond Green and Jonas Jerebko at power forward. Seeing as Green is an All-Star and Jerebko offers upside as a shooter and offensive catalyst, they seem safe. At the 5 spot, Golden State will soon boast the talents of Cousins and Jordan Bell. Where Looney fits into that picture is, at best, unclear.

You could say that Jerebko is also a trade candidate, but his age (31) makes him not nearly as valuable as Looney (22). The young big man has come on strong over the years, proving himself to be a quality contributor off the bench. In fact, he’s in the midst of his best season yet, averaging 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 64.2 percent from the field.

Looney is in the final year of his contract, and will likely cost more than the Warriors want to spend next offseason to re-sign. Instead of having to bury themselves even further in luxury taxes, the Warriors could move the former UCLA standout as opposed to letting him walk via free agency.

Undergoing slow-but-steady progress, Looney has proven himself to be a potent presence off the bench. Another team would certainly be willing to bring him aboard for a reasonable return.