The Golden State Warriors play for championships, not for second-round exits. As such, the franchise is expected to be “incredibly aggressive” in retooling the roster around Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.
“The Golden State Warriors have up to four first-round picks they can trade,” Charania told ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” via NBC Sports Bay Area.
“They have tradeable contracts, pick swaps as well. Sources told me in the last few hours, the Warriors will be incredibly aggressive in the marketplace to go find help, to continue to retool around their big three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.”
Charania expounded further on the exact players the Warriors were eyeing ahead of the 2025-25 season.
“I’m told their priority is finding a play-making wing defender or a center to add to this group.” he said. “A lot of it will come down to someone that Steve Kerr and the big feel like will help this team and fits their culture and their identity.”
Major Changes Coming?
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted that the Warriors were likely to undergo “major changes” in the 2025 offseason, which could even include trading Butler.
However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes the Warriors are committed to keeping Curry, Butler and Green together, specifically since their contracts are all lined up to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season.
Windhorst also didn’t rule out the possibility of the Warriors acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, the disgruntled Bucks superstar expected to seek a trade.
“The Bucks don’t have to listen to him. But if he were to come to Milwaukee and say, I want to play with Steph [Curry], there could be a deal worked out,” Windhorst said.
“The same would apply, in my view, to the [New York] Knicks or [Los Angeles Lakers], if he says I want to be a Knicks, send me to New York or I want to be a Laker. These are big ifs. Those trades can get worked out. But if it’s just an open market, none of those three teams, in my opinion, could win a bidding war with the Bucks.”
The Jonathan Kuminga Factor
The Warriors also have a big decision to make on restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who is expected to attract offer sheets from suitors such as the Nets.
Due to his RFA status, the Warriors can only use Kuminga in sign-and-trade scenarios, unless the Congolese forward accepts their offer sheet.
To that end, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley believes the Nets and Warriors could work out a trade involving Kuminga and three-and-D specialist Cam Johnson.
“Even if Golden State is less than convinced Kuminga is a long-term fit for the team, it will want to recoup something for the asset,” Buckley wrote.
“Look for the Warriors to work out a sign-and-trade with the Nets that gets him a four-year deal in the $100 million range and delivers the Dubs three-and-D ace Cameron Johnson.”
With Curry, 37, entering the final few years of his prime, the Warriors are under heightened pressure to surround him with a championship-level squad.
