The Warriors have spent the offseason chasing the biggest names on the board and coming up empty each time, and that string of misses has now pushed a bold Lauri Markkanen idea into the spotlight. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey floated a deal that would send Utah Jazz receive: Jimmy Butler, Yaxel Lendeborg, 2028 Golden State Warriors first-round pick, 2030 Golden State Warriors first-round pick, 2032 Golden State Warriors first-round pick.
It is the kind of proposal that would split a fan base right down the middle. On one hand, Golden State has already swung hard at Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. On the other, the price tag for Markkanen would be enormous, and the Warriors would be betting big on a player whose health has been a recurring concern.
Markkanen fits the basketball part of the puzzle almost perfectly. At 7 feet, he gives Stephen Curry a stretch big who can score from all three levels, and last season he put up the best numbers of his career: 26.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range.
The problem is that the tape comes with a warning label. Markkanen played just 42 games last season because of injuries, and that has been a theme throughout his career.
Then there is the money. He is in the second year of a four-year, $195 million extension and is due $46.1 million next season, followed by $49.8 million in 2027-28 and $53.5 million in 2028-29.
The Warriors would not be the only team making a serious sacrifice here. Butler is still one of the biggest variables in Golden State’s offseason after tearing his ACL.
Before the injury, he averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.6% from deep. He is expected back at some point next season, but there is no guarantee he returns to All-Star level after that kind of setback.
His deal also runs out after next season, with Butler set to make $56.8 million in the final year of his two-year, $110.9 million extension.
Then there is Lendeborg, who has quickly become a favorite in Golden State. The No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft just won 2026 Summer League MVP after averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in Las Vegas.
He powered the Warriors to the Summer League title with a 21-point, 10-rebound effort in the championship game. He recently signed a four-year, $28.1 million contract and will make $6 million this season.
The draft capital is the other major bite out of the future: three first-round picks, all while taking on a player with Markkanen’s injury history. That is a steep bill for any team, even one trying to maximize what is left of Stephen Curry’s prime.
Utah, though, would have a hard time turning it down. The Jazz would be giving up an All-Star, but they would get a young rookie, three first-round picks and Butler’s expiring contract in return. For a rebuilding team, that kind of package is the sort of offer that forces a quick answer.
For Golden State, the bigger question is whether this is the sort of all-in swing that makes sense after striking out on so many stars. The pressure is clearly on the front office and ownership to squeeze every last bit out of Curry’s remaining years. Even if Butler comes back in January, there are real questions about how much time he would have to get right, and whether the Warriors could truly contend in the stacked Western Conference with him.
Markkanen would raise the ceiling if he stays on the floor.
But giving up Butler, Lendeborg and three first-rounders for another injury-prone star is exactly the kind of move that could either keep the title window cracked open a little longer or leave the Warriors regretting a desperate gamble during Curry’s swansong years.
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One hypothetical has been enough to keep the topic alive, with a proposed framework built around Charlottes roster and draft flexibility to make the money work. It is the kind of exercise that feels far-fetched until it suddenly does not, which is why even a summer rumor around Curry lands with extra weight in Golden State, where every quiet stretch only sharpens the questions about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]