Turns out, all those rumors about the Golden State Warriors making big offseason moves for Anthony Davis or Jaylen Brown? They were never really gonna happen. ESPN’s Anthony Slater just dropped the scoop: the Warriors flat-out refused to put Jimmy Butler *and* the massive draft capital on the table for either superstar. This summer, when everyone thought Golden State was chasing big names, it seems like they weren’t even seriously in the hunt, all because of the price tag.
The Jimmy Butler Dilemma: Too Valuable to Trade, Too Injured to Be the Offer?
The sticking point for any deal involving Davis or Brown clearly came down to Jimmy Butler. Slater reported that the Warriors just didn’t have the “appetite” to offer Butler, especially when you factor in the “pick packages required and contracts attached to both” Davis and Brown. Think about it: they even shut down “Butler-plus-picks” conversations for what they considered “ultimately lesser players” once Butler gets healthy. It paints a picture, right? The team saw Butler as too important to move for what they considered a non-Davis/Brown upgrade. But here’s the kicker: Butler tore his ACL back on January 19. That’s a huge injury, and it definitely had to play into why other teams might have demanded even more picks on top of him. When healthy, the guy is a six-time All-Star, a key piece for the Warriors’ starting lineup. Over his two seasons with Golden State, he’s averaged a solid 19.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, shooting 50.1 percent from the field. That’s real production, but is it enough to make other teams overlook an ACL tear *and* not demand a haul of picks? Apparently not for Davis or Brown.
That “Roughly Four First-Round Picks” Price Tag That Nobody Wanted to Pay
Remember all the buzz? ESPN’s Shams Charania had reported the Warriors were dead set on trying to pair LeBron James with Stephen Curry via free agency, and then go after Anthony Davis on the trade market. Wild, right? But James ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Davis? He stayed put with the Washington Wizards. Then there was Jaylen Brown. Charania also noted that Golden State could have jumped into the mix for Brown, but they ultimately decided against giving up a package that included “roughly four first-round picks.” Four! That’s a huge haul, even for a player like Brown. And guess what? Brown ended up in Philadelphia too, with the Boston Celtics trading him there on July 1. So, the big names Golden State was supposedly chasing? They’re all off the board, mostly heading to the City of Brotherly Love.
So, what *did* the Warriors actually do this summer? Not much, outside their own roster. Their primary focus was just retaining their existing guys. For external additions, they only brought in Georges Niang and Brandon Williams. Kinda underwhelming when you consider the star power they supposedly wanted. Heading into the season, you gotta wonder if holding onto Butler and those draft picks, instead of going all-in for a major shake-up, was the right call. The roster looks pretty similar to last year, which could be good for continuity, or it could mean they missed their shot at a huge upgrade. We’ll find out soon enough when the regular season gets rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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