Warriors Trade Idea to Save Season After Butler's Season-Ending Injury

Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Monday, leaving the Golden State Warriors reeling.

What they do next is anyone's guess.

They could become aggressive buyers at the trade deadline, using Jonathan Kuminga and draft capital to acquire a wing like Trey Murphy III or Michael Porter Jr. who can fill the Butler scoring void.

They could become aggressive sellers, trading De'Anthony Melton and any other veteran players who would have value on the trade market.

The following trade idea is one of the most radical options if the Warriors decide to be buyers.

Blockbuster Trade Idea

Warriors get: Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, D'Angelo Russell
Mavericks get: Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, 2027 unprotected first-round pick (via Warriors)
Jazz get: Dwight Powell, 2032 second-round pick (via Mavs)

Why the Warriors Do This

There's an argument that the Warriors' best move is to mostly stand pat at the trade deadline, hope Butler recovers for next season and essentially run it back.

Frankly, they might be forced into that plan, as there's a chance no one is willing to take Butler in a trade.

But if the Mavs are interested in a Davis-for-Butler swap, the Warriors have to consider it.

Sure, Davis is expected to miss about the next five weeks with a hand injury. But he's not out for the season, and if the Warriors can hang in there until he comes back, they would have a puncher's chance with him in the playoffs.

Davis and Draymond Green would be a frightening duo on defense, and though the offense would have some spacing issues, it's nothing Stephen Curry hasn't played through in the past.

The Warriors get Thompson and Russell as well, both of whom could be useful scorers off the bench.

There would be much more hope for this season after this trade. But losing an unprotected first-round pick in 2027 would be very risky, and trading the Kuminga contract for veterans on the downside of their careers isn't an ideal for the long-term health of this franchise.

It's a tough decision, but if the Warriors made it, I'd understand.

Why the Mavs Do It

The Mavericks don't need Butler for their rebuild, but they do need more draft capital, which is the main reason they could entertain this trade.

The Mavericks don't own their 2027 first, so they get the Warriors' pick here, which could be very valuable if the Warriors' lack of injury luck continues.

They also get off the contracts of Thompson and Russell. Thompson is under contract for $17.5 million next season. There have been some rumors of the Mavs buying out Thompson's contract, but instead this trade allows them to get off the contract without having to potentially eat dead money next year.

Still, it's not an obvious sell for the Mavs. Butler is under contract for $56.8 million next season. He would be extremely difficult to trade. Ideally, they'd get more immediate cap flexibility from a Davis trade.

With that said, Davis' suitors don't have $54.1 million in expiring contracts to match the money in Davis' 2025-26 salary. If the goal is to clear the books, getting Butler and Kuminga is not a bad result, as they are owed nothing after the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, Davis has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28 that Dallas wants nothing to do with.

In summary, going into the 2027 offseason, the Mavs would have Cooper Flagg, whoever they picked in the 2026 draft, the Warriors' 2027 pick and tons of cap space. That's not a bad outlook.

Why the Jazz Do It

The Jazz basically get a free second-round pick because they have the cap space to take on Dwight Powell's 4 million salary. The Jazz likely release Powell right after the trade goes through.