Golden State Warriors supporters have legitimate cause to believe that the team can compete for the championship with its current lineup for the first time since the first week of the 2022–23 season. The Dubs had won back-to-back contests and five of their previous seven games prior to Monday’s game against the Pels, which was essentially a schedule loss.
In the meantime, Stephen Curry continued to exist on a higher plane, Klay Thompson appeared to return to his prime form, including 20-point quarters, and Jordan Poole displayed hints of improvement.
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However, there is still a lot of ambiguity surrounding the team’s dual-timeline strategy, particularly with relation to the young component. The G League has sent James Wiseman there, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are still fighting for rotational spots, and the rookies have been completely forgotten about.
As a result, both fans and analysts have discussed the prospect that the Dubs would give up on developing their youthful talent and focus solely on winning now. To that end, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports floated a huge potential deal over the weekend.
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Quinn tweeted the following deal in an effort to give Miami a head start on a rebuild that some regard as inevitable while also giving Golden State a boost in star power and defense for its title defense:
Golden State Warriors receive F Duncan Robinson and G/F Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat get G/F Moses Moody, F Jonathan Kuminga, C James Wiseman, G Klay Thompson, and two additional first-round picks
Quinn gives details on the trade:
You essentially have one team trying to pull the plug on its present before it’s too late while the other is pulling the plug on its future before it’s too late. Plus both teams would have to be able to handle the emotional baggage of trading Jimmy/Klay. I can’t see them doing it
The basketball writer’s defense was that he said the planned trade would “never ever happen.” And fewer than 20 games into year two, it’s tough to imagine Joe Lacob, Bob Myers, and the rest of the Warriors’ brain trust fully abandoning ship on their youth movement (and just a few months after winning the chip).
The inclusion of Klay is a completely different issue.
Additionally, the Warriors would have three open roster places after pulling the trigger, with only a limited number of quality candidates to fill two of them. Additionally, Butler has three more years remaining on his contract at roughly $48 million per year, while Robinson has one of the worst NBA contracts.
Therefore, the Warriors would be committing themselves to many more years of luxury tax hell even before assessing whether Butler can be a fit.
However, there is unquestionably some level of logic in the plan.
Butler might improve the Warriors’ defense
The Warriors have been atrocious in 2022–23 after being one of the top defensive teams in the Association last season, if not the best. When it came to defensive effectiveness going into the Pels game, the team was ranked 24th in the league, allowing 113.4 points per 100 possessions.
Not all of that can be blamed on the lottery guys or the second unit, either.
As of the time of writing, Steph’s D-rating stands at a less-than-stellar 112.3. And Andrew Wiggins’ score, 111.6, is only marginally better. The Warriors’ normal starting five have been excellent defensively as a five-man unit, but whenever those players have been forced to play alongside bench players, some of them have been as disappointing as anyone.
Butler has had his own issues this year, but when Butler was the closest defender last year, opponents’ conversion rates fell by 2% overall and by 5% on three-point attempts. Where a lot of the offensive pressure would be on a Warriors team
Additionally, staggered rotations to give him some second-unit time may improve that team’s overall defensive effectiveness and effort level.
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With Curry, Wiggins, and Jordan Poole there to spread the field around him, the Warriors may also be able to tolerate Butler’s peculiarities. On the other side, when Butler and Draymond Green are on the court together, things may become awkward.
In any case, Butler has consistently been able to compensate for his lack of strength from deep. And this season, with a conversion rate close to 36%, he is making almost three per game. He still averages 20 points per game.
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