With Steve Kerr's 'big three' of Steph Curry (37), Jimmy Butler (35) and Draymond Green (35) not getting any younger, the time is now to trade in some youth for one more chance at a title for his aging core.
With Curry, Butler and Green all locked up for the next couple of seasons, Mike Dunleavy Jr. will need to make moves around the edges to add to his star trio after their second-round playoff exit showed that if Curry is either not 'Chef Curry' on any given night or if he's off the court altogether, the roster just isn't there to overcome the two-time NBA MVP's off-nights or absences.
In a trade idea by Bleacher Report's Greg Swarz, the Warriors go for one final run at an NBA championship by acquiring a perfect piece to their puzzle in the form of a Boston Celtics do-it-all guard.
Golden State Warriors receive: Derrick White, Sam Hauser
Boston Celtics receive: Jonathan Kuminga (via sign-and-trade), Trayce Jackson-Davis
The proposed deal would see the Warriors sign Kuminga to a projected four-year, $88 million extension before sending him to Boston alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis.
For the Warriors, this deal makes all the sense in the world. White provides Curry with another guard capable of knocking down threes at a rate that would consider him to be the future Hall of Famer's new 'Splash Brother.' The Dubs would also add another sharpshooter off the bench with championship experience in Hauser.
On the other side of the deal, Celtics' new ownership would be happy to shed the $38-plus million that's due to White and Hauser in 2025, while only bringing in less than $25 million per season. With another deal or two likely on the table for the reigning champions on the horizon, Bill Chisholm would be on track to get under the second apron, avoiding a hefty $500 million bill in his first full season as the 18-time champions' new owner.
While saving money is virtually a must for the Celtics this summer, adding another versatile wing that's capable of defending multiple positions is a Brad Stevens favorite. For Kuminga, he'd get a chance for a featured role alongside Jaylen Brown as Jayson Tatum is set to miss most of, if not, the entire 2025-2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair the torn Achilles he suffered in the Celtics' Eastern Conference semifinals loss against the New York Knicks earlier this month.