The Golden State Warriors‘ recent 131-124 home loss to the Eastern Conference leading Detroit Pistons served as a cold reminder of how quickly a season can unravel. It is getting harder to ignore the void left by Jimmy Butler, who is sidelined for the remainder of the year.

Before the injury, the projection for this squad was vastly different; with a veteran core featuring Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, and Butler, the Warriors were viewed as a team that could navigate the shark-infested waters of the Western Conference and push for one last Finals run. Now, that vision feels like a distant memory, replaced by the harsh reality of a roster that is suddenly too thin to compete at the highest level.

Draymond Green Knows the “Business” Might Lead Him Out of the Bay

With Butler out of the lineup, the offensive burden on Stephen Curry has become unsustainable. Curry is currently averaging 27.3 points per game, but the drop-off after him is staggering. The next highest scorer on the active roster is Brandin Podziemski, averaging just 12.2 points. In the modern NBA, you simply cannot survive a long season, let alone a playoff series, when your second option is scoring in the low teens.

This glaring weakness is why the Warriors are the most talked-about team ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline. If they don’t find a legitimate co-star for Curry, they risk wasting one of his final elite seasons. No one understands the cold mechanics of the league better than Draymond Green. The 14-year veteran has spent his entire career as Curry’s defensive soulmate, but at 35, he’s pragmatic about the rumors.

“That’s part of the business,” Green recently noted regarding the trade chatter. His impact and veteran leadership are qualities any contender would covet, he remains the quintessential “player you love to have but hate to play against”, making him a primary chip if the Warriors decide to swing for the fences.

Could the Warriors Move the Core for a Giannis Arrival?

The name at the top of every executive’s wishlist is Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP and 2021 Champion is currently nursing an injury, but his reported desire to potentially move on from Milwaukee has the league in a frenzy.

Pairing Giannis with Curry would create the most devastating offensive duo in basketball history; defenses would be forced to choose between guarding Curry’s unlimited range or Giannis’ absolute dominance in the paint. It is the “Perfect Storm” scenario. However, the price for a generational talent like Giannis is astronomical.

If Mike Dunleavy Jr. wants to bring the Greek Freak to the Bay, he knows the starting point begins with the core. A package would likely require:

• Draymond Green: To balance the salaries and provide Milwaukee with a veteran leader.
• Jonathan Kuminga & Brandin Podziemski: The Warriors’ most valuable young assets.
• Multiple Future First-Round Picks: The draft capital needed to offset the loss of a superstar.

Losing Green would be an emotional blow to the franchise, as his chemistry with Curry is the stuff of legend. But as the trade deadline nears, the Warriors have to decide if they want to protect their history or go all-in on one final championship window for Curry.