The Golden State Warriors may like the idea of moving off Jimmy Butler if it means landing a healthier piece who can help right away and down the line. The problem, as the latest trade idea makes clear, is that the Warriors simply do not have a deep stash of assets to work with.
That is what makes this proposal interesting, even if it does not seem like the kind of deal the Dallas Mavericks would be eager to make.
Under the framework, Golden State would get P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Klay Thompson. Dallas would receive Jimmy Butler and a 2029 first-round pick via the Warriors.
Sai Mohan of Heavy laid out the fit this way: “This isn’t just about nostalgia, but a move that can help the Warriors remain relevant and contend for a playoff spot next year. Washington, one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league, could slide in nicely as the starting small forward next to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porziņģis, with Daniel Gafford, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Yaxel Lendeborg and Will Richard coming off the bench. Add Al Horford and Gui Santos, and Golden State would have an even deeper bench,” Sai Mohan of Heavy wrote.
That kind of swap would give the Warriors three above-average pieces back, but it also comes with the obvious catch: it takes two teams to agree, and Dallas may not be interested in parting with that much value.
Even so, the basketball fit is easy to see. Washington and Gafford look like the stronger players in the deal at this point than Thompson, though all three would make sense in Golden State’s rotation.
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