Jimmy Butler’s ACL injury will unquestionably change the Golden State Warriors’ approach to the rest of the 2025-26 trade season.
The Stephen Curry-led Dubs now have no choice but to go all-in on another superstar before their championship aspirations fade away for good.
Run It Back on Fanduel TV’s Chandler Parsons recently proposed an NBA-altering trade that would land the Warriors a 6-foot-9 Los Angeles Lakers star.
“How do we feel about a Jimmy Butler, (Jonathan) Kuminga, and two picks that are going to be really good to the Lakers for LeBron James and a Rui (Hachimura) situation,” Parsons said Tuesday.
Acquiring James at this stage of his career would be a questionable move for Golden State. While James is a top-2 player of all-time and has accomplished it all in the big leagues, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that he’s declining in Year 23.
From routinely taking plays off to taking a significant step back as a perimeter and interior defender, James hasn’t been his usual self on the hardwood in every aspect of the game.
James is averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 32.8% from beyond the arc.
Still, considering the Warriors can ill afford to have a quiet trade season, Parsons' trade idea isn’t as ridiculous as it seems on the surface.
More NBA: Proposed Warriors trade sends Jonathan Kuminga to Suns for $90 million ex-Lakers forward