The Golden State Warriors are in a brutal spot. Jimmy Butler is going to miss the rest of the season. But even before that, the Warriors were struggling to keep up in the crowded Western Conference. As brutal as it would be, trading Butler could be the best way for the Warriors to improve in the short-term and long-term.
There’s one deal that sneakily makes a lot of sense, if the other team were to be interested, and that would be trading Butler to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal for Michael Porter Jr. and Nicolas Claxton. It could solve multiple issues for the Warriors.
But Brooklyn would undoubtedly want the Warriors to pay a hefty price.
This Jimmy Butler-Warriors blockbuster could make sense
The Warriors have had a bunch of problems this year. They need to fix plenty of issues in order to take on the best teams in the West and help Stephen Curry compete for a championship.
However, if Golden State had to pick two problems that sit toward the top of its list, they would likely be consistent scoring next to Curry and better play at the center position.
If the Warriors managed to pull off a trade for both Porter and Claxton, it would be a major step toward solving those issues this season.
After getting traded by the Denver Nuggets this summer, Porter has emerged as a legitimate All-Star candidate this year with the Nets. He’s been amazing, and he’s finding success in a primarily off-ball role.
That sort of scoring would be absolutely perfect for the Warriors, as they could simply look to find ways of getting Porter open, and he could be the secondary scorer they need next to Curry.
As for Claxton, he’s enjoying one of the best statistical seasons of his career this year in Brooklyn. He’s taken leaps as a scorer and a playmaker, both of which would help him in Golden State.
A lineup of Curry, Moses Moody, Porter, Green, and Claxton would have a much better chance at competing in the Western Conference playoffs than Golden State’s current roster.
Obviously, trading Butler while he’s hurt would be brutal, but to a degree, business is business. And Curry’s not getting any younger.
The question is, how much draft capital would the Nets want attached to Butler in order to make a deal like this? The answer? Probably a lot.
So, would it be worth it for the Warriors to attach significant draft capital to Butler in order to make this deal happen? It’s at least worth considering.