Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- After missing out on LeBron James to Philadelphia, the Golden State Warriors face an uncertain future and must consider drastic roster adjustments.
- Options include trading for Michael Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun, or Trey Murphy III, or executing a full rebuild by trading Stephen Curry.
- These desperate proposals reflect Golden State's struggle to balance winning now around Steph Curry against pivoting to a long-overdue rebuild.
When LeBron James announced his decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, there was a brief moment in time where it felt like his next destination was already lined up. The Golden State Warriors had been trying to lure LeBron for a couple of years. He's close friends with Draymond Green. Stephen Curry has LeBron's immense, hard-earned respect. There were even rumors of Golden State lining up an Anthony Davis trade to grease the wheels.
In the end, LeBron is joining the Philadelphia 76ers — a cross-country move to write the final chapter of his career in a completely unfamiliar place. The Warriors simply did not present the best chance to win another championship. So... now what? How does Golden State move forward? Here are a few trades worth considering.
Warriors can swap Jimmy Butler for Michael Porter Jr.
This is an odd trade on paper, as Golden State is giving up a draft pick and the better player in a swap of expiring contracts. That said, Porter is eight years younger than Butler. The latter is also rehabbing from a torn ACL, with a projected return date in January or February.
The Warriors can feel much better about extending Porter than extending Butler. Porter is not without baggage, but he's coming off the best season of his career in Brooklyn. At 6-foot-10, he's a knockdown shooter who aligns with Golden State's offensive ethos. The Warriors need to get younger, and the combined shooting gravity of Porter and Curry unlocks some fun looks offensively.
For the Nets, Butler becomes another huge expiring trade chip. Brooklyn won't be angling to win a title next season, but if Butler can come back and put a few solid performances under his belt before the trade deadline, someone will pay up. Even if Butler finishes out the year in Brooklyn, it's a chance for the Nets to dump an extra year of Terance Mann's contract and free up $56 million in cap space next summer, with more money to spend than any other team.
Warriors can go all-in on Alperen Sengun
Alperen Şengün appeared to fall out of favor with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka last season, or at least ruffle his feathers every now and then. Houston is under no pressure to trade a 23-year-old with two All-Star appearances under his belt, but Şengün is coming off by far his worst season to date. The vibes around that Houston team are quite poor, and Şengün's porous defense is perhaps the easiest source of frustration to point out.
That does not mean Şengün isn't worth paying for. He's someone who could benefit a ton from a change of scenery and a coach who believes in him. Şengün has multiple seasons in which he impacted winning at a very high level. The defense is a concern, yes, but it's rare to find a center who can so effortlessly facilitate offense at the elbow or in the post. His funky, off-beat stylings should pair nicely in two-man actions with Steph.
I'd be more than a little concerned about how Şengün's skill set and personality fit in a locker room with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, but weirder things have worked. Notably, Şengün is less than 100 days older than Warriors lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg. This team needs to reset its timeline. Șengün is a building block for the future.
In exchange, the Rockets get a different look at the five spot with Kristaps Porzingis, who provides valuable floor-spacing and rim protection. Moses Moody took a real step forward last season and gives Houston a 3-and-D weapon on the wing, while a 2030 Warriors first-round pick carries real upside.
Warriors can revisit Trey Murphy talks with the Pelicans
The Pelicans seriously investigated a potential Trey Murphy III trade leading up to the NBA Draft, but nothing materialized. Now that the bulk of free agency has passed, perhaps that door reopens with several teams left scrambling for last-second answers.
It's not hard to envision Murphy's fit in Golden State as a sweet-shooting wing who can defend. Murphy has also grown in his ability to attack closeouts and even create offense from scratch on occasion. At 26, he belongs in that younger generation, which is important for Golden State. He's also locked up for three years on an extremely discounted contract.
The Pelicans reportedly want the "equivalent" of three first-round picks. Golden State can offer two first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, which are far enough out to hold major upside once the Steph and Draymond era eventually collapses. The Pelicans also receive two immediate, rotation-caliber wings in Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, both of whom are two-way, winning players.
New Orleans needs to shake things up even more desperately than Golden State. Perhaps two teams stuck between a rock and a hard place can help each other out.
Warriors can blow it up and trade Stephen Curry
Golden State will almost certainly let Steph ride off into the sunset in a Warriors uniform, even if it means he does not seriously compete for a championship in his twilight years. That is totally respectable. Steph has earned the right to finish where he started.
That said, if we want to channel our inner Daryl Morey and put emotions and sentimentality to the side, there's a strong case for the Warriors blowing it up. This is a Play-In team at best, with an old, injury-riddled core and very little chance to improve without a potentially catastrophic hemorrhage of future assets.
By trading Steph, the Warriors would control all their future picks and four or five future picks from the team that lands Steph (in this hypothetical world, San Antonio). If Golden State can then spin the likes of Butler, Green and Porzingis for value, it's a chance to fully reset. Under the new lottery system, there's a spike in potential value for even mid-first-round picks. Plus, the Warriors are still in the Bay. Still a destination. If Golden State spends a couple years retooling and maximizing flexibility, they'll have all the assets needed to land their next star(s) when the time is right.
The Spurs are being very pragmatic in their team-building approach around Victor Wembanyama, but the chance to go all-in for a couple years with Wemby and Steph — while also dumping De'Aaron Fox after his horrendous Finals performance — might be too good to pass up. It will never happen, to be clear. But in the NBA, never say never.
More NBA news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google