Intriguing Mock Trade Idea Where The Warriors Land Cade Cunningham For A Huge Package

The Golden State Warriors are looking to maximize their chances of winning now while also planning for the future, as indicated by their unwillingness to trade away their young stars over the summer for veterans Lauri Markkanen and Paul George. They’ve started the season 2-1 and look competitive, but the ingredients for a championship contender don’t seem to be there beyond Stephen Curry at the moment.

The Detroit Pistons have spent multiple years in a hapless rebuild but managed to land Cade Cunningham in the 2021 NBA Draft. While Cade has struggled with injuries, he’s looked great on the court and was among the only positives for the league-worst Pistons last season. 

If Cunningham desired to have his talents realized on a big-market team that’s contending for a title, a trade to the Warriors would shock the NBA while giving Golden State a pathway to contend now while also securing a future franchise cornerstone.

Trade Details

Golden State Warriors Receive: Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons Receive: Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, 2025 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2028 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2031 First-Round Pick (GSW)

This is an incredibly risky deal, as it involves the Warriors trading away their two prized young stars who have looked incredibly raw to start the season along with a bevy of first-round picks. But if Cunningham’s early-season form continues, the Warriors have a win-now setup with a few years of contention with Curry on the roster before the franchise keys can be handed over to Cunningham. This deal can’t take place before January 6, 2025.

The Warriors Land A Co-Star Who Can Take Over The Franchise

The Warriors need to pick a direction for their franchise. Very few championship-caliber teams can get away with playing 12 to 13-man rotations in the regular season, but that’s the state of the strong Warriors’ depth right now. If contention now is the goal, the team needs to consolidate its deep rotation and make a trade to acquire a star-level player who better fits the needs of the franchise.

Cunningham averaged 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists last season, starting this season off with strong performances with an average of 27.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists through three games. 

He’d be the perfect dynamic option next to Steph, being able to absorb playmaking and ball-handling responsibilities to reduce the workload of the 36-year-old while allowing him to be the lethal off-ball shooter we know him as. 

Cunningham is also a great defensive option for a guard and would be a great two-way fit on the franchise. Given the slow starts to the season both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski have had, it might be best to maximize their high trade value in this deal instead of giving up veteran rotational players who can make an impact on a Playoff run. 

The Pistons Set Themselves Up For The Future

The Pistons don’t have any short-term prospects in the NBA, embracing life under a new culture instituted by head coach JB Bickerstaff. Cunningham has thrived in that system and is a very plausible long-term option for the franchise, so a deal to acquire him via trade will bring the Warriors two best young assets in Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski along with three picks stretching all the way to 2031.

Kuminga averaged 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds last season, showing flashes of the two-way wing star he promised to be when he was drafted four picks after Cade in the 2021 NBA Draft. Podziemski averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season, becoming a core hustle player for the Warriors before unseating Klay Thompson as a starter for the franchise. He is expected to embrace a bigger role. 

They’ll be great NBA players in a few years, with the Pistons giving them an environment that will focus on developing them instead of maximizing winning.

With the picks and the players, the Pistons could continue their process of rebuilding under coach Bickerstaff and maximize their outcomes in the 2025 NBA Draft. With a very talented young core already in place, the Pistons would be in a position next season to draft at the top and be major players for star trades given their boosted asset pool.

Who Would Say Yes? Who Would Say No? 

You could make a credible argument for both teams rejecting this deal, as the Pistons would be unwilling to give up on the long-term potential of a homegrown No. 1 pick while the Warriors have clearly indicated that Podziemski or Kuminga will not be made available via trade. Those exact reasons are also why both teams would be encouraged to accept the deal.

If I had to pick one, I have to say the Warriors would turn this deal down due to the situation it could leave the franchise in. Cunningham has been an injury risk since the day he was drafted, and a deal like this greatly reduces Golden State’s depth. 

An injury to Cunningham or the 36-year-old Curry who got hurt in his last game could derail the franchise’s winning hopes. In addition, the team would be severely restricted in how they build around Cade after Curry retires as they’ve sent multiple future picks to Detroit in this mock trade.

The Pistons would lean towards no but their accepting this deal seems more realistic given it provides the franchise an opportunity to land two high-potential youngsters along with first-round picks from a franchise whose future would still be uncertain after a deal like this. 

Kuminga and Podz could fit into their slow rebuild plans right now, justifying another tanking season to hopefully land a franchise-altering player in the 2025 Draft while having one of the best young cores in the league growing alongside him.

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