As the championship window for the Golden State Warriors begins to close, the team's front office is actively looking for ways to bring another championship back to the Bay Area.
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is currently under contract with the team through the 2026-27 season. But their declining production and lack of a star on the roster have hampered Golden State's ability to win games.
Currently sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference standings, 14 games behind the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors front office is trying to find ways to bring in a superstar to compliment Curry and boost the team's chances. to reach the playoffs.
At the same time, Curry has gone on record that he doesn't want the team to make what he called a “desperate” move that would “deplete the future” of the franchise. But sources indicate that the team is still working on a trade anyway.
Sources tell DailyMail.com that the Warriors could be preparing for a massive move to acquire Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James or Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, despite Curry's protests.
“Although Steph says she doesn't want her team to do anything drastic, that's the exact opposite of what's going on behind the scenes,” the source says.
Sources tell DailyMail.com the Warriors could make a trade to land a co-star for Steph Curry
Specifically, the Warriors are targeting Miami's Jimmy Butler and the Lakers' LeBron James.
'Warriors brass want to make a splash and are having talks with the Lakers and Heat to potentially land LeBron James or Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline.
While a move of this magnitude may be in the hearts of the Warriors front office, sources say the logistics of pulling off such a move could make it more difficult than expected.
“For that to happen, a lot of things have to fall into place, especially since LeBron and Jimmy have no-trade clauses in their contracts,” a source told DailyMail.com. “And both the Lakers and Heat would want a multitude of future draft picks and expiring contracts.
'Golden State wants to win now and is seriously considering giving up its future for now. If they don't come to a deal by February, they won't, but Golden State is on the phone with teams to get a superstar to join Steph for a chance at another championship.
There may also be a money issue preventing this from happening. According basketball referenceGolden State is approximately $36 million over the NBA salary cap. Adding additional contracts would make that number much higher.
Curry's salary of around $55.7 million takes up about 39.7 percent of the Warriors' cap space right now.
The Warriors will see four players become unrestricted free agents over the summer (Dennis Schroder, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and Lindy Waters III) and Jonathan Kuminga, Quinten Post and Pat Spencer will become restricted free agents.
Golden State still has all of its first-round picks through 2031, which can be used as important pieces if a trade is to happen.
Curry's $55M-plus contract occupies a large portion of the Warriors' salary structure
As of now, the Warriors are a half-game out of the final playoff spot, roughly halfway through the NBA season.
Curry averages 22.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. His point total has steadily decreased since the 2022-23 season.
The same can be said for both James and Butler. James' PPG has gone from 28.9 in 22-23 to 23.7 this season. Butler has fallen from 22.9 to 17.6 in the same span.