The Warriors came very close to swinging a Jimmy Butler for Anthony Davis trade this summer. Then Golden State took a hard look at Davis’ medical history and got cold feet.
According to Logan Murdock of The Ringer, the Warriors seriously considered dealing Butler to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Davis. The plan was pitched by a group in Golden State’s front office at Las Vegas Summer League. Team ownership eventually decided the risk was too high.
“At summer league in Las Vegas, a small contingent of Golden State’s front office pushed for that path, but AD’s injury history and desire for a new extension ultimately convinced team brass to stay put,” Murdock wrote.
That is the correct call, even though it hurt in the short term. Getting Davis would have been a massive talent upgrade for the Warriors. It also would have been a massive gamble that Davis’ body could hold up long enough to matter.
Davis played just 20 games with the Dallas Mavericks last season before being traded to Washington at the deadline. The Wizards never got him on the court after acquiring him. Hand and groin injuries kept him sidelined for the rest of the year. That is not the profile of a player you build around going forward.
The Warriors have made a habit of turning down big-name trade opportunities over the last two years. They passed on multiple chances to acquire stars, always citing durability concerns or contract length. Some of those decisions have looked smart. Others have not.
The bigger question is whether landing Davis would have flipped the LeBron James free agency race. There was some belief around the league that Davis reuniting with LeBron in Golden State could have been the tipping point that got James to sign with the Warriors. Instead, LeBron chose Philadelphia, and Golden State was left with a roster that looks a lot like last year’s.
Murdock’s reporting suggests that Golden State’s ownership did not want to trade Butler on the hope that it would move the needle for LeBron. That is understandable but also frustrating for fans who wanted the team to be more aggressive.
Butler is still on the Warriors roster, but his own situation is complicated. He is expected to miss significant time in the 2026-27 season after suffering a serious knee injury in the last playoffs. That is another durability concern for a Golden State team that badly needs healthy stars around Steph Curry.
The math on Curry is not getting better. He turned 38 this year. The window to compete for another title is closing by the month. Every offseason where the Warriors stand pat feels like another lost opportunity. Curry has been vocal about wanting help. He also just watched the front office pass on multiple chances to get him some.
For Davis, the failed trade probably works in his favor long-term. Washington is not competing for anything, but the Wizards are also not going to pressure him to play through injuries. He can rehabilitate at his own pace, keep his body healthy, and then look for a real contender at the next trade deadline or in free agency.
There is a version of this story where Davis stays healthy for a full season and forces Golden State to regret walking away. There is also a version where he plays 30 games again and the Warriors look like geniuses for passing.
Either way, the message is clear. The Warriors are done gambling on star power alone. They want stars they can trust to be on the floor. That is a smart approach in theory. In practice, it might mean Steph Curry runs out of time before the front office finds the right co-star for him.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
