A little over two weeks before the deadline, an injury to Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler could change the landscape of the NBA's trade market.
Butler suffered a season-ending ACL injury against the Miami Heat on Monday night, just as the Warriors were clicking into gear and playing their best basketball of the season. Golden State went on to beat Miami to improve to 25-19, but their championship aspirations have been dealt a serious blow with the news of Butler's injury.
MORE: Jimmy Butler gets injured on MLK Day against the Miami Heat
The Warriors have been linked with several big-name players ahead of the Feb.5 trade deadline, such as Michael Porter Jr., Trey Murphy III and even Anthony Davis. But one former player is publicly wondering whether Golden State should start heading in the other direction.
Speaking Tuesday on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back," Chandler Parsons wondered aloud as to what the Warriors could get if they traded Stephen Curry, the franchise legend and all-time 3-point king. But he painted a bleak picture for Golden State moving forward, saying that the 37-year-old is their "best asset."
"There's gonna have to be (draft) picks involved," Parsons said of any package the Warriors wanted to put together to bring another star amid Butler's injury. "They might go and package those picks and bring in something else. It's not better for this team now (to compete for a championship)."
. @ChandlerParsons wonders if Steph Curry still has trade value at 37 years old 👀
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 20, 2026
"I don't know what the Warriors get back for a 37-year-old Steph Curry to better that franchise."
Boogie & Lou are shocked by this take 🤯@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/Z0ky8hRm5W
Lou Williams, another former NBA player on the show, said he saw no circumstance in which the Warriors would deal Curry, who was named an All-Star for the 12th tim e on Monday.
But Parsons wasn't backing down -- especially as he considers the Warriors' top young asset, Jonathan Kuminga, to be "checked out" and devoid of real trade value.
"When I see Draymond (Green) and Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry, that's scary," he said. "But this current situation, Butler is now going to be making $57 million at 37 years old coming off a torn ACL, he's gone. It's not a good situation."
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