NBA 2018-19: 3 Players the Warriors need to trade away

The Golden State Warriors were the clear favourites going into the 2018/19 NBA season. The squad was already one of the best ever assembled and the Warriors sent shockwaves through the NBA when they announced the acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins.

Despite the high expectations heading into the season, the Warriors have surprisingly struggled so far. Injuries have played a part as Stephen Curry has missed a number of games, whereas Cousins is still recovering from a torn Achilles.

The Warriors also seemed to hit the self-destruct button when Draymond Green and Kevin Durant fell out live on national TV. With Golden State's campaign not currently going as planned, here are three players that could be traded as the two-time defending champions look to turn around their season.

#3 Damian Jones

Damian Jones may be made surplus to requirements

Since being drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2016, Damian Jones has won back-to-back Championships. The 23-year-old struggled to earn minutes during their Championship-winning seasons, although Jones has started 16 games thus far this season.

Despite his increased game time, Jones' time with the Warriors could soon end. Cousins was signed to be the starting center, while Kevon Looney has displayed his capability to play a back-up role to Cousins. This means that Jones is expected to return to spending heavy periods on the bench, so the Warriors may opt to trade the youngster away while he still has value.

#2 Jordan Bell

Golden State Warriors vs Dallas Mavericks

Despite being a second-round pick in last year's NBA draft, Jordan Bell was able to contribute well from the bench during his debut season. The 23-year-old averaged nearly 15 minutes-a-game, and he made a number of headlines thanks to his incredible dunking ability.

Bell's playtime and production have both dropped considerably in his second season, and Steve Kerr still seems unsure on his best position. Bell can play at center or the power forward position, however, the versatile Looney seems to be preferred in both positions. It seems a case of the two players being too similar for the organisation and Bell will probably be the one making way.

#1 Draymond Green

Draymond Green has proved to be one of the biggest draft steals this decade

It must also be noted that if Kevin Durant has privately informed the Warriors that he is not going to sign a new contract in 2019, then it would make no sense for the franchise to trade away Green. Despite this, if trading away Draymond Green guarantees that Kevin Durant will remain a Warrior, the organisation should make the difficult decision to let Green leave.

Draymond Green is the heart and soul of the franchise, however, Kevin Durant is one of the best three players on the planet, and the Warriors will struggle to continue their dominance without the 2014 MVP.

Green himself will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020, and the 28-year-old has stated that he wants a max contract. This means that there is no guarantee that Green will stay, so if the Warriors can get Durant to commit, it is a no-brainer to trade Green away.