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Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors‘ need for a talented big man has been apparent for multiple years. These days, Steve Kerr can’t rely on his aging team to use its skill and speed to compensate for playing small. As such, the Warriors may look to add a legitimate rim protector to the rotation this summer.

Golden State’s easiest way to upgrade its big man rotation will be via trade. Multiple teams will likely be in the market for roster changes this summer. The following trade proposal would solve the Warriors’ need for a center while also adding a reliable forward to the rotation.

The deal would look like this:

Warriors Get: Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade

Cleveland Cavaliers Get: Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, a. 2025 1st round draft pick via the Miami Heat, a 2026 first-round draft pick via the Warriors, a 2028 first-round pick from the Heat, and a potentially highly valuable 2030 draft pick (top-5 protected) from the Warriors.

Miami Heat Get: Darius Garland and Moses Moody

Allen would give Golden State a whole new dimension on offense. His vertical spacing when rolling to the rim would drag defenders away from the perimeter, thus easing the pressure on Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. If defenders chose to stay home, then the threat of a lob pass would be prevalent.

Furthermore, Allen would anchor a defense that has been in dire need of legitimate rim protection in recent years. The Western Conference is full of talented bigs, so adding Allen would be a big step forward for the Warriors.

Why the Cavaliers Would Make this Trade

This trade would undoubtedly create a talent drain for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Losing both Allen and Garland would be a hammer blow. However, there have been questions about how those two players fit into the team’s long-term roster construction.

Allen’s fit next to Evan Mobley has been viable, but in truth, Mobley would likely thrive as the lone big man in the starting lineup. While Garland’s situation next to Donovan Mitchell has been in question for over a year. Both guards are quite similar, and the lack of defense has been a concern.

Wiggins and Anderson would upgrade the Cavaliers’ wing defense while adding floor spacing and tertiary ball-handling. With the number of draft picks coming into Cleveland as part of this deal, Altman could flip Wiggins, Anderson or even De’Andre Hunter in a separate deal to continue re-tooling the roster. After all, the goal for Cleveland is to win a championship.

Hield would space the floor off the bench, giving Kenny Atkinson some additional shooting.

Nevertheless, it would be Brandin Podziemski who would be the star addition. He’s already proven himself capable of playing next to a star-level guard. Heading into his third season, a 6-foot-5 Podziemski would add size to the guard rotation, along with defense, playmaking and multi-level scoring. Furthermore, the Cavaliers will already know he can play off-ball and is a team-first talent.

Why Would the Heat Improve the Warriors?

Pat Riley has already helped improve the Warriors recently by sending Jimmy Butler to the Bay Area. However, the chance to add a high-level point guard, which has been a problem area for the Miami Heat in recent years, would likely be too good to pass up.

Garland is an All-Star talent. He ended the 2024-25 regular season averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds, shooting 40.1% from deep and 53% from 2-point range. Moving to Miami would ensure he is the lead guard moving forward, which could see his production take another leap forward.

Moses Moody would also give the Heat an additional scorer to lean on. He’s never really been given a fair shot in Golden State. Erik Spoelstra could get the best out of the former lottery pick.

So, while Miami would be giving up some wing depth and draft picks, they would be filling a position of need and future-proofing their guard rotation.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor