2 Trades Warriors Can Make After Losing Giannis Sweepstakes

Will the Warriors make a big move now that the Giannis dream is dead?

Giannis Antetokounmpo | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors have likely passed on several trade opportunities over the years to hoard their assets for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.

In the end, their hoarding strategy didn't work. The Bucks didn't have interest in the Warriors' package at the trade deadline, and now Antetokounmpo is reportedly being traded to the Heat.

Now that the Antetokounmpo dream is dead, the Warriors should be more inclined to make a smaller-yet-still-impactful trade.

Here are a couple they can pull off, one of which they'd have to do now because it involves their 2026 first-round pick.

(Note: I went over a complicated trade idea for Trey Murphy III here. It's less realistic than the two below, so I left it off this article.)

Warriors Trade for Kawhi Leonard

Warriors get: Leonard
Clippers get: Jimmy Butler, 2026 No. 11 pick, 2028 unprotected first-round pick

ESPN's Anthony Slater reported that Clippers governor Steve Ballmer has "a firm stance against a Leonard trade."

But there are reasons to believe he could change his tune for the right trade package.

For one, Leonard is under contract for just one more season. There could be some concern he won't sign an extension and will be lost for nothing in 2027 free agency.

Aside from that, the Clippers traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac during the 2025-26 season, which means they are closer to a rebuild than they've been since acquiring Leonard.

Perhaps Ballmer is posturing with the hope someone offers the Clippers a bigger haul. In the end, I'd guess two first-round picks is the going rate for a soon-to-be 35-year-old with his injury history.

Leonard is the only Butler upgrade the Warriors can realistic trade for. The roster would still have several flaws, but any team with Stephen Curry and Leonard would be capable of a playoff run.

Warriors Trade for Anthony Davis

Warriors get: Anthony Davis
Wizards get: Jimmy Butler, 2027 top-11-protected first-round pick

The vibes in Washington don't seem great for Davis to have a long stay. He doesn't want to play for a rebuilding team, and the Wizards probably don't want to give him the massive contract extension he seeks.

The question is, do the Warriors want to give him that extension?

On the one hand, the Dubs have almost no money on their books past the 2026-27 season, so they can certainly afford to pay Davis. On the other hand, he's an oft-injured 33-year-old who will want his extension to go into his late 30s.

It's a difficult decision for the Warriors, and if they choose to make it, they will be all but telling the world they're not confident that Butler will return to form in the 2026-27 season.

When he's healthy, Davis is a dominant two-way player. The Warriors would use their 2026 first-round pick on a wing and go into the season with more size than they've had in ages.