Unlike a franchise like the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors can’t afford to have a quiet trade season.
Whether prioritizing their low-post or perimeter shooting issue, the 11-10 Western Conference squad must make a roster-upgrading move before the Feb. 5 deadline.
Regarding a potential deal, Blue Man Hoop’s Peter O’Keefe believes that the Warriors would benefit from trading a struggling 6-foot-5 veteran to the Dallas Mavericks for a 6-foot-6 forward.
“(Naji) Marshall is in the second of a three-year, $27 million contract, making his salary incredibly similar to that of under-fire Golden State guard Buddy Hield,” O’Keefe wrote Monday.
“A third team would need to be involved, given the Mavericks are also above the first apron and can't take back more money in a trade, but flipping Hield for Marshall would make some sense for the Warriors.”
“Perhaps the Warriors would prefer to use Hield's contract in addition to Kuminga's and draft capital for a bigger star, but Marshall would be a nice alternative if the front office looks at cheaper targets on lesser money.”
Hield has hit a new three-point shooting low in the big leagues. Before the start of the 2025-26 campaign, Hield, while inconsistent at times, never found himself on the verge of shooting less than 30% from long range.
However, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard is a few horrid shooting performances away from falling into the sub-30 % shooting category, as he’s connecting on 30.8% of his triples through 21 games.
With Seth Curry joining the squad on Monday and likely outplaying Hield going forward, the Warriors shouldn’t be opposed to moving on from the former No. 6 overall pick.
Marshall’s track record isn’t as impressive as Hield’s, and his 2025-26 perimeter shooting is on par with the Oklahoma product’s (30.9% three-point shooting performance).
From an upside and defensive skill set standpoint, though, acquiring Marshall would be an upgrade for the Dubs at this stage.
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