The Warriors are fighting or a play-in spot, and it's unclear what their best route is to get back into the playoff mix.
If they are going to make that push, Matt Steinmetz thinks Andrew Wiggins has to go. His subpar performance and struggle playing with in the same lineups as Jonathan Kuminga have made him a strong trade candidate.
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On Steiny & Guru, he suggested that the Warriors might have to look to trade Wiggins for a player like Ben Simmons.
"He's playing so poorly that he's not worth $25 million," Steinmetz said. "He's not playing as a $25 million player. And he's got a long-term deal. Like the kind of deal I would be thinking about if I were the warriors would be, could you move Wiggins and Payton II for Ben Simmons? All I'm saying is you may have to give up a pick."
Simmons, who is averaging 6.5 points (career low), 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, is making $37.89 million this season and $40.34 million next season.
Wiggins, who is averaging 11.7 points (career low), 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game (career low), is making $24.3 million this season, which increases by roughly $2 million each season through a 2026-27 player option.
In order for the salaries to work in this hypothetical, Golden State would have to include more than Payton II's $8.7 million salary this season. Adding someone like Cory Joseph ($2 million) would make the money work.