When Eric Paschall fell out of the Warriors' rotation last season, it was the result of a few different circumstances. First, it was injuries, and then it was someone coming in and convincingly taking his minutes.
But by the end of the season, there was no clear role left for Paschall, and that resulted in the forward being traded to the Utah Jazz on Thursday in exchange for a protected 2026 second-round draft pick.
The Warriors didn't get much in return for Paschall, but they're OK with that. The biggest benefit of the trade for the Warriors is the open roster spot that has been created, with which they can add another veteran player -- the attribute they are in most need of.
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After a breakout rookie season in 2019-20 that saw Paschall land on the All-NBA Rookie team, his second year in the league was riddled with inconsistencies. He struggled on defense -- particularly on help-side -- and missed 29 of Golden State's final 32 games with a left hip flexor. And in his absence, Juan Toscano-Anderson proved to be a more reliable option as a power forward off the bench who could also play the small-ball center position. Paschall struggled to play small forward and power forward for Golden State, further limiting his role.
With Toscano-Anderson ahead of him on the depth chart, and with the new additions of Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica, Paschall's path to minutes this coming season was even scarcer than before.
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So, Paschall should also benefit from this deal. He has a chance to crack Utah's rotation and will be reunited with his childhood teammate Donovan Mitchell.
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With Paschall's departure, the Warriors turn their focus to filling out the rest of the roster, possibly with the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception. Free agency has been moving quickly and there aren't a ton of obvious targets left, but Golden State has room to add more pieces.