NBA 2026 NBA trade deadline scenario after Jimmy Butler injury

He’s looking for everything bleak for the Golden State Warriors. Last Monday, the Warriors suffered a devastating blow ie Jimmy Butler‘s torn ACL. While a torn ACL is far from a career death sentence, especially given the advances in modern medicine, Butler will be out for more than a year, and given his age (already 36, turning 37 in September), any self-respecting medical staff will be urging him to take it easy.

Butler’s main knee the injury now shakes the Warriorsare desperate for answers as they try to give Stephen Curry one last chance in the title race. His absence essentially shuts Golden State out of title contention, as it’s impossible for the Dubs to rise to the level of the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs without a supporting star like Butler to take something off Curry.

If there’s a silver lining to any of this, this is it Butler’s injury happened before the trade deadline. This at least leaves the Warriors with some options as to how to proceed; Jonathan Cumminga will always be a trade chip, and perhaps Butler’s injury has pushed the Dubs’ front office to a level of desperation where they’re more willing to part with a first-round pick deep into the future.

Considering the experience of the Dubs, they are unlikely to be aggressive. But this is an unprecedented situation. Curry will turn 38 in less than two months. And if there’s one superstar who can pull off another, it’s Curry.

With that said, here’s a dream scenario for the Warriors heading into the 2026 NBA trade deadline.

for years, Antetokounmpo was the Warriors’ dream targetand no one will ever wonder why their biggest dreams consist of the Milwaukee Bucks star’s face. Curry’s gravitas has unlocked so much for the Dubs over the years; imagine how much space playing alongside Curry would create for the Greek freak.

Some may point to the lackluster results Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have put up as a ding against the possibility of him teaming up with Curry. But Lillard plays very differently than Curry. Lillard is more of a pick-and-roll player, and needs the ball in his hands to utilize his excellent range. Curry, meanwhile, is more of a gravity-bending, paranoia-inducing player off the ball who can occasionally run pick-and-rolls.

Antetokounmpo also needs the ball in his hands, too The Warriors have the space to make the most of it of his talents. Meanwhile, Giannis also has the basketball IQ and unselfishness to thrive in head coach Steve Kerr’s man-based, ball-moving offense. Defensively, he will be Kerr’s dream. He can provide help to weaker sides in small-ball lineups, and Draymond Green protects him from more physically demanding matchups.

Again, it’s worth noting that this is an absolute dream scenario for the Warriors. There doesn’t seem to be anything on this roster that would make the Bucks even look in their direction should they trade Antetokounmpo on the trade market. And with Antetokounmpo basically declares that he is here to stay in Cream City for his entire career, there are so many things that make a team with the Dubs impossible.

But in terms of how plausible that is, the Warriors can definitely collect some salary to try to convince the Bucks. Butler’s contract is a perfect match for Antetokounmpo, and the Dubs have to offer every young player Milwaukee would want while absorbing Kyle Kuzma’s bad contract.

Warriors can too feel free to shop their first-round picks in 2026, 2028, and 2032, and picks in between those years (except 2030) are available for trade. They have to put everything on the table, especially with Butler out for the foreseeable future and his huge contract ($54.1 million this year, $56.8 million next season) will simply be dead on any team’s cap list.

However, this is nothing more than a dream, and even then, dreaming about the possibility of it happening already seems ambitious.

The Los Angeles Clippers are back from the dead, and Leonard has been healthy (for most of) the last two months. There’s no way they’re selling now, not with a postseason berth within their reach. If anything, they’ll likely sell and squeeze everything this veteran core has before facing a hard reset when Leonard and James Harden fall off the cliff.

But Leonard is proving that he has plenty of gas left in the tank, and that when he turns on like he has over the past month, he can look like the best player in the NBA. The Warriors might be able to gamble that Leonard is the best player in the playoffs, and having Curry next to a playoff killer like him could certainly lead to a potential deep playoff run for this veteran Dubs team.

Alas, this Leonardo’s scenario seems even more impossible for warriors. The Clippers don’t benefit from the dead money that is Butler’s contract, especially when they’re contending. They won’t blow everything, as evidenced by their desire to keep fighting considering they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder their pick this year and owe the Philadelphia 76ers a few picks later.

But Leonard is the exact kind of star who can get the Warriors over the hump in their final push for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Hear Me: LeBron James To The Bay?

It’s no coincidence that there have been ties in the past linking James to a potential team with former NBA Finals opponents Curry and Green. James and Greene are basically best friends, whereas he and Kari became friends after being something of a rival in the mid-to-late 2010s.

But the Los Angeles Lakers were never going to trade James away, especially not for a package centered around Butler’s dead contract. If ever there is a universe where James becomes a member of the Warriorsthen he decides, against all odds, to sign a minimum contract with them come free agency. However, everything is possible in dreams.