4 Insane trades for Warriors to give Steph Curry another shot to win a championship

The Golden State Warriors got hit with a gut punch this week as Jimmy Butler tore his ACL and will miss the rest of this season and much of next year as well. It's devastating for Butler, for the Warriors, and for fans hoping to see another legendary Steph Curry moment that matters.

Can the Warriors pivot in the midst of devastation and rise from the ashes? The answer is likely pulling off a significant trade ahead of the deadline, looming just two weeks away. There are piddling things they can do on the margins with the contracts of Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, but a true home run swing -- the only type of move that would make a difference -- means using Butler's $54.1 million contract to bring back another co-star.

What trades can the team consider? Let's dig into some of the boldest moves and explore whether they would make the difference in the Warriors competing this year and next for one last championship.

Trade No. 1: Anthony Davis and a Reunion

For some inexplicable reason, the loss of Butler has stoked nostalgia in the breasts of Warriors fans. Could Klay Thompson return home to finish his career alongside Stephen Curry, a Splash Brother once more? One idea circulating around has been pairing Klay and Anthony Davis in a mega return from the Dallas Mavericks.

Here is one construction, as pitched by Blue Man Hoop's Site Expert Peter O'Keefe:

The core of the deal: Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall back to the Warriors, with Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and three firsts heading out. The Brooklyn Nets join to make the math work.

The Warriors have long been linked to Anthony Davis, and his pick-and-roll chemistry with Curry would likely be elite. He will best thrive in an environment where he doesn't think he is the No. 1 option. The problem before was giving up a healthy Butler didn't make sense; now that he is injured, the two sides can come together.

A starting 5 of Curry, Podziemski, Moody, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis would certainly be dangerous, with Klay and Marshall bolstering a bench unit that also includes Al Horford, Will Richard and Quentin Post. It's expensive, and the injury issues with Davis are likely too great, but it's an intriguing idea.

Trade No. 2: Trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The one player more frequently linked to the Warriors in trade rumors than Anthony Davis is probably Giannis Antetokounmpo. Curry and Giannis are friendly and would make a great on-court fit, and the Dubs are always hunting for the biggest stars. It would take Antetokounmpo applying pressure on the Milwaukee Bucks to trade him, but once he hits the market the Warriors could shoot their shot.

A rebuilding Bucks team may not mind taking on Butler's salary for next season, and the fact that Butler and Antetokounmpo make the same exact amount down-to-the-penny makes the deal extremely clean. Butler, four firsts and a swap for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Warriors could go to war with a foundation of Steph, Giannis and Draymond. They would need to try and turn Kuminga into a perimeter player of some sort using their remaining swaps or a young player; perhaps a Naji Marshall from Dallas, or Ochai Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors. But they would retain the rest of their role players to try and propel that threesome toward something meaningful.

Is it enough for the Bucks? Probably not. But it's a massive swing for the fences by the Warriors.

Trade No. 3: LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers consider themselves a contender. They would never make this trade. But what if they faced the music and realized that they have the net rating of a losing team and have no realistic shot in the playoffs?

LeBron James is not long for the Lakers, and his connection to Curry and Draymond Green is well known. What if the once villain were to push for a trip up the Pacific coast? The Lakers could pivot into a full 2027 cap space plan, add a draft pick for their troubles, and move on from the LeBron experience as Jeanie Buss appears ready to do.

The deal would be simple: Jimmy Butler, Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Warriors' 2028 Top-4 protected first-round pick for LeBron James and Bronny James. Curry and LeBron join forces for the first time outside of Team USA and they together make a run of it this year.

Is it likely to succeed? Absolutely not. But it would be bursting with storylines and intrigue.

Trade No. 4: Joel Embiid

Our final trade is perhaps the most insane, which is certainly saying something. It comes courtesy of the Third Apron podcast:

The Warriors would be taking on the worst contract in basketball, the super max extension handed to Joel Embiid. It will very likely turn into a disaster by the end of it. But before it does, the Warriors would be taking a swing at the upside of a former MVP who also was with Curry at the Paris Olympics.

It would be a massive risk, but the upside is there to be an elite offensive unit with Curry plus Embiid. Quentin Grimes joining the deal gives the Warriors another wing as well to replace Hield. The best part is that the Dubs keep all of their draft picks, which can either be used in a pivot to another trade or as a soft landing if this goes very poorly.

Each of these trades is unlikely but intriguing; they represent a hail mary throw, which is what Curry deserves. If the Warriors want to do their best to win another championship in the next decade, the time is right now while a generational superstar is still playing at an elite level.

Would one of these trades crack open that window just a little?