The Golden State Warriors have a very clear and narrow title window built around Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler, but they might be unwilling to commit to that core.
The Golden State Warriors, as long as Stephen Curry is playing at a high level, can at least be in the running for the NBA championship. After falling short in the second round this season, the Warriors are hoping that a full offseason with Jimmy Butler in town will bolster their title hopes.
With Butler, Curry, and Draymond Green all on the wrong side of 35 years old, the Warriors have a very limited window, but they seem unwilling to part with key assets to maximize their present.
The Warriors can trade their first-round draft picks in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2031, and 2032, and they can make a swap with their 2026 selection, although with their core aging, Golden State seems uninterested in mortgaging its future.
Photo by David Berding/Getty ImagesWarriors know the value of their draft picks
In every realistic scenario, Curry, Green, and Butler have two seasons left in their primes, and after that, the Dubs will need to rebuild.
After winning four titles, it’s safe to say that the Warriors’ run was a success, although a long reconstruction will come sooner rather than later.
With losing seasons on the horizon, the Warriors are not eager to part with their future draft picks, which could very easily be near the top of the draft, allowing them to find a new franchise player.
“We’re probably more protective of them than most teams,” general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told Tim Kawakami of the Warriors’ draft picks.
“Because not knowing after a few years what our roster is, the uncertainty of that, of putting those picks out in the future, which, on the market, makes them more valuable, but for us they’re a little bit more dangerous, so we got to walk that line.”
While the Warriors know that their picks will be incredibly valuable, other teams also know that dealing for the Dubs’ picks could be more fruitful than trading for draft capital with a team on the rise, like the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets.
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty ImagesWarriors need to stay healthy
Since Kevin Durant left for the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors have tried to assemble a winning cast around Curry, culminating in a fourth title in 2022. However, Andrew Wiggins never played that well again, and the Warriors clearly needed a legitimate star to pair with Curry.
Enter Jimmy Butler. Between the playoffs and the regular season, the Warriors went 23-7 with Butler in the lineup, although Curry got hurt in the postseason, ending their bid.
With a healthy Butler, Curry, and Green, the Warriors should be able to compete for the Finals, even in the crowded West. However, with all three of them aging, staying healthy is far from a guarantee.
If the Warriors remain healthy, there is no reason for them to make a trade. If injuries pile up, a trade won’t be enough to save them, so Dunleavy being hesitant to move on from his draft picks makes perfect sense.