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The Golden State Warriors saw their dynasty crumble last season due to a slew of long-term injuries. Expected to be at full strength in 2020-21, they will be hoping to mount another championship run with the Splash Brothers running the show once more. However, the Western Conference is loaded as ever and NBA trade rumors suggest that Warriors need to make a few moves to improve their roster.
NBA Trade Rumors: 5 players unlikely to return for the Golden State Warriors for the 2020-21 season
To get better pieces, the Golden State Warriors will have to make NBA trades sending some of their current players in the other direction. A few names are on non-guaranteed contracts as well and could be waived depending on the moves that take place. On that note, let us look at five players unlikely to be back with the Golden State Warriors for the 2020-21 season.
#1 Andrew Wiggins
Entering the third year of his $148 million contract, Andrew Wiggins evidently doesn't have a future with the Golden State Warriors. He was used as the makeweight for the D'Angelo Russell trade and will be the bargaining chip for any superstar that the Warriors pursue.
Wiggins isn't a bad player by any means, having averaged nearly 22 points last season. But his usage rate will only reduce with the return of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The Golden State Warriors may simply consider paying him the $29.5 million he's owed simply too much and could flip him for other players.
#2 Alen Smailagic
The Golden State Warriors acquired the 20-year-old Alen Smailagic from the New Orleans Pelicans on draft night in 2019. The 6'10 forward only averaged 10 minutes per game last season and had minimal impact on the Warriors' performances.
Smailagic has the potential to eventually play at center in the future but the Golden State Warriors are already in luxury tax purgatory and would like to cut salaries wherever possible. Unfortunately for the Serbian, there simply isn't a good enough argument to keep him around.
#3 Jordan Poole
The Golden State Warriors drafted Jordan Poole with their first-round pick last year. Currently, Poole is a rather raw player for the Warriors to keep around and is likely to be included in NBA trade packages. He played 57 games in 2019-20, starting in 14 of them, but struggled massively from the field, shooting at just 33.3% accuracy. He's not too imposing on the defensive end either.
Poole will most certainly take some time to develop. As long as he's not really adding to the Golden State Warriors' expected quest for a title and also resulting in a higher luxury tax bill, the franchise might want to trade him. The Warriors have several players to fill in the secondary shooting guard's role as well.
#4 Juan Toscano-Anderson
Juan Toscano-Anderson made his way to Golden State via their G-League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors. Another fringe player for the Warriors, he may actually have a future in the league as a slashing wing.
As a rebounding forward, Toscano-Anderson just doesn't offer enough for the Golden State Warriors to consider keeping hold of him. As such, he's likely to be used for matching salaries in potential NBA trade packages.
#5 Marquese Chriss
Marquese Chriss has already spent a few seasons in the NBA and managed a career-high 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Golden State Warriors last season. With Kevon Looney also returning to action, many see Chriss as the backup center for the Warriors.
Marquese Chriss' future with the Golden State Warriors depends on whether the franchise decides to address the center spot in free agency or via NBA trades. In case they do, Chriss is likely to be cut considering his current contract with a Warriors is a non-guaranteed one.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors - Golden State Warriors have best package to offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo
