3 trades Warriors must make to win 2026 NBA title with Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors certainly played like a team that had a chance to go all the way after they acquired Jimmy Butler via trade this past February. With Butler active, they played at a near 63-win pace. In the end, the Warriors' playoff run was stopped by forces beyond their control, as Stephen Curry's hamstring injury and Butler being less than 100 percent after sustaining a hip injury of his own sapped the Dubs of their firepower en route to a five-game series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the playoffs.

The Butler trade signaled the Warriors' intention to give Curry his best chance at a winning a ring before he inevitably rides off into the sunset. This sense of urgency is new to the Dubs, as they have preferred to ride their two-timeline strategy as long as they could.

But now that they've picked a direction, it's time for the Warriors to commit. Time is of the essence when it comes to giving Curry a roster that can compete for a title in 2026, and here are a few trade ideas that could perhaps help push the Dubs over the top.

Warriors say farewell to Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors trade: Jonathan Kuminga, 2028 GSW first-round pick

Nets trade: Cam Johnson

It's no secret that Steve Kerr does not like Jonathan Kuminga's fit alongside Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green — the Warriors' three most important players. Kuminga is not an advanced-level passer nor is he much of a presence on the glass and on defense. Instead, he prefers to do his damage with the basketball, and in the Warriors' system that's predicated on ball and player movement, Kuminga's play style sometimes sticks out like a sore thumb.

Kuminga's talent, however, is undeniable. He can get points in bunches, and with Curry out due to injury during the Timberwolves series, the 22-year-old forward suddenly found himself being an indispensable member of the rotation thanks to his ability to create shots and manufacture buckets out of nowhere.

Nonetheless, the Warriors cannot plan ahead for a Curry injury. It's all about maximizing the Curry-powered system for the Dubs, and even though Kuminga is a fan favorite, it might be time to let go of him in a trade to bring in a more seamless fit in the team's system. To that end, Cam Johnson could be a worthwhile get even if he's not the star player many Dubs fans are dreaming of getting in hypothetical trades.

Johnson is one of the best shooters in the league; this past season, he shot 39 percent from deep on 7.2 attempts per game despite being the player to command the most defensive attention for the Brooklyn Nets. He also flashed a more advanced off the bounce game, which should then help him attack aggressive closeouts in the Warriors' system.

He's someone opposing defenses cannot leave open at all costs from beyond the arc, and he's the exact archetype of player the Warriors roster is in dire need of — a versatile 6'8″ forward who can survive on defense all while being someone who commands plenty of defensive attention in his own right.

Unlike Kuminga, Johnson can flourish coming off screens, launching from beyond the arc without conscience and having the requisite skill to back up that kind of audacious shot selection.

Now, the Warriors will have to sweeten the pot for the Nets to consider bringing in Kuminga via sign-and-trade when they can just sign him outright. But it could very well be worth it for the Dubs, especially with Johnson locked into a team-friendly deal until the 2026-27 season.

Dubs beef up their frontcourt with blockbuster trade

Warriors trade: Moses Moody, Gui Santos, Trayce Jackson-Davis, protected 2026 and 2028 GSW first-round picks

Cavs trade: Jarrett Allen, Craig Porter Jr.

For years, Warriors fans have been calling for the team to trade for a big man after years of being exposed on the glass and on the interior. Now, in today's NBA, mere size isn't enough. Aspiring championship contenders must have big men who can defend in space and are agile enough to guard quicker players.

After this year's playoffs, some would question whether or not Jarrett Allen still has the capacity to be the starting center on a championship-level team. There were times where the Cleveland Cavaliers would simply decide to bench him since he was being ripped to shreds by Tyrese Haliburton on switches. The Cavs had to play zone to minimize the damage, only to end up being destroyed all the same.

But Allen is a 27-year-old double-double machine who will make life easier for the Warriors in the regular season. There will be no need for Draymond Green to be overtaxed in the regular season. Matchups against behemoths will require the team to cover less ground defensively since they won't have to send aggressive double-teams with Allen around.

Allen is also a much-improved playmaking big man; he has solid feel for the game and he won't look like a fish out of sea at all in the Warriors' system.

Trading away three young players in Moody, Jackson-Davis, and Santos will be rough. But such is the cost of acquiring a perennial double-double threat who can drastically change things for the Warriors on the interior. For the Cavs, this allows them to move Evan Mobley full-time to the five, restock their draft-pick cupboard, and add more depth to their roster.

Golden State brings back an old friend

Warriors trade: Moses Moody, Gui Santos

Mavericks trade: Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson may not be the player he once was, and he's had his fair share of playoff stinkers over the past few years. But if the Warriors were to make another deep playoff run, it's only right that Thompson is a part of it.

Thompson should at least be better than the version of Moody that showed up in the 2025 NBA playoffs. Moody stunk up the joint and ended up being outside of the rotation until injuries forced the Dubs to bring him back in. And now that Thompson isn't expected to be the secondary scoring option for the Warriors, there will be less pressure on him to produce, which should in turn yield better results.