Warriors Rumors: Latest Buzz on Trade Exception Plans, Dwight Howard Free Agency

With the 2020 NBA draft less than a month away on Nov. 18, the rumor mill has been buzzing.

Who will trade their pick? Who will move up or move down? Who will stand pat?

For the Golden State Warriors, who were basically out of sight and out of mind during the regular season restart and subsequent playoffs in the bubble, this offseason is going to be critical if they want to reemerge as a viable threat to win the championship.

From the looks of it, they will have a healthy Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry back on the floor, which presumably puts them right back in the race as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

But just getting there isn't enough for the Warriors, who went to five straight NBA Finals and won three. They want to unseat the Los Angeles Lakers next year and bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to the Bay Area.

To do that, though, they're going to have to make the right roster moves this offseason. 

Thanks to the lucky bounce of the pingpong balls at the draft lottery, they have the No. 2 overall pick. The only rub is that there's not a generational talent on the board like last year with Zion Williamson or Ja Morant.

That said, there are a few standout prospects to consider like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Obi Toppin and James Wiseman.

Craig Mitchelldyer/Associated Press

The jury's still out on whether Golden State will select one of them or trade the pick, but what happens at the draft is not their only play.

Thanks to the Andre Iguodala trade in July 2019, the Warriors also have a $17.2 million trade exception that expires one week after free agency starts. That means they can trade for an impact player that commands up to $17.2 million.

Golden State is already in luxury-tax territory, so committing to that trade exception can be costly. For instance, if they opt for the full amount, that translates to a whopping $76 million increase on their tax bill.

According to The Athletic's Anthony Slater, it's unlikely that the Warriors use the exception. "Sources increasingly insist on the usage of that $17.2 million exception: It'd have to be a special opportunity," he wrote.

Special opportunities are rare and relative, so it will be interesting to see if Golden State uses the exception or lets it expire.

One big clue will be what they do at the draft. If they stay at No. 2 and draft a player who develops quickly and plays well, he could be a valuable piece in a package for a midseason trade.

Dwight Howard to the Bay?

Before he landed with the Lakers last season, there were two Dwight Howards: one who was a perennial All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year with the Orlando Magic; the other couldn't stay healthy and bounced around the league, wearing out his welcome at each stop.

But things changed for the better for Howard in L.A.

The 16-year veteran big averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game.

Howard's ability to embrace a lesser role and be an efficient contributor off the bench helped the Lakers win a NBA championship for the first time since 2010.

Watching him rehabilitate his image and win a title was a welcome sight for Stan Van Gundy, who was his head coach in Orlando when they made it to the 2009 Finals but lost to the Lakers in five games.

"What I have enjoyed the most is to watch his reputation be rehabilitated a bit," Van Gundy told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "He's a good guy. He did a fantastic job in Orlando. It's been rough for him since then. To see him bounce back, to be an unselfish team guy trying to win games is great to see."

Now, thanks to his stint in L.A., the free agent is a wanted man again, and it appears that one of the interested parties could be Golden State.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Warriors are expected to have interest in Howard.

He may not make it that far, though, because the Lakers may sign him to a deal to keep their frontcourt intact so they can run it back next year.

Maurice Bobb covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow Maurice on Twitter, @ReeseReport.

Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.