Analysis: 3 early trading goals for the Golden State Warriors in the 2025 NBA offseason

The Warriors missed the 2025 NBA playoffs due to Stephen Curry's injury, and they may decide to upgrade their roster through trades again. Another season has passed, but Stephen Curry is getting closer to retirement. He neither won the fifth championship ring nor consolidated his position as the greatest point guard in NBA history. The Golden State Warriors had gone to great lengths to build a competitive roster around Curry, and they completed a sensational deal with Jimmy Butler, but eventually, injuries killed the Warriors' 2025 championship hopes, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round in five games.

Even if the Warriors rely mainly on the running back core led by Curry, Butler and Draymond Green next season, head coach Steve Cole is still confident in the team's competitiveness. But the Warriors still have some wiggle room, such as Jonathan Cumingga, who has recovered in form at the end of the playoffs, is about to become a restricted free agent - which brings the possibility of signing first and then switching, and perhaps a valuable player.

In the end, Butler appeared in the active roster with a record of 62 wins in the regular season. Therefore, the Warriors do not urgently need to make a thorough roster adjustment because if they can avoid injuries during the playoffs, they have a chance to pass the game.

But given that the gap between the two championship teams is already very small, it is not bad if the Warriors can further improve their lineup. Here are a few trading goals for the Warriors to be another key offseason.

Warriors will complete the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?

One thing must be clear from the beginning: Unless Giannis Antetokounmpo himself goes to management to ask for a deal, the Milwaukee Bucks won't trade him away. Antetokounmpo's contract is at least 2026-27, with the 2027-28 season being a player option; therefore, even if the Bucks' future prospects are bleak, they are more willing to retain the team's cornerstone, even if there are reports that he is willing to leave "Cream of Cream."

But if Antetokounmpo makes a transaction request, this is very likely to happen. Given that the Bucks are barely able to compete for the championship due to their lack of trading value and draft picks, it's very likely that this will happen - Damian Lillard's Achilles tendon injury exacerbates these two points, which may never return to his previous level - then the Warriors may be able to take advantage of it.

If Antetokounmpo can be traded, the Warriors should contact the Bucks dutifully. The Warriors may not have a viable way to get Antetokounmpo because their bids may be higher than teams like the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder, to name just a few.

In any Antetokounmpo trading plan, the Warriors must use Jimmy Butler as their core bargaining chip. If they decide to trade Butler less than a year after they get him, it is not the best option for the Warriors. But Antetokounmpo still maintains MVP-level performance, and if he and Stephen Curry partner, the Warriors will become the favorite to win the championship next season. Unfortunately, it seems to be just a daydream.

Cam Johnson replaced Jonathan Cumingga

Brooklyn Nets have been considered a potential main player in the free agent market, but due to the lack of the team's cornerstone and the poor performance of the free agent market this year, they may not be as successful as they brought in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in 2019.

The Nets may be able to attract Jonathan Cumingga with a huge contract and the opportunity to dominate their own team. The Brooklyn Nets don't need to give up anything to get Cuminga, they just need to give a huge offer, and the Warriors will carefully match it. But perhaps the two teams can decide to cooperate, and the Nets will send famous marksman Cam Johnson to the Warriors in exchange for the 22-year-old striker.

As shown in the 2024 NBA playoffs, the Warriors' opening space can sometimes get really bad, especially when Curry is on the court. The combination of Butler and Kumingga became the Warriors' last choice because their lack of experience outside the three-point line made their cooperation on the court look very difficult.

Assuming Johnson joins the Warriors, the Warriors will have three sharpshooters outside the three-point line (Curry, Johnson and Buddy Hilder) who can't be left alone at any time. This should make their offenses that have lost frequently in the playoffs this year smooth.

Johnson's biggest question is his health; he has missed 49 games due to various injuries in the past two seasons, and Curry and Butler themselves are at risk of injury, and the Warriors may not want to increase their risks further. But if Kumingga's eyes were unchanged, they might have no choice. The Warriors acknowledge that their size is important and strive to strive for Goga Bitaze, Moses Moody is the darling of the management and is unlikely to leave, especially if the Warriors executives still believe that his strong performance in the 2024-25 regular season will become the norm for his future development, rather than an exception. Despite this, Moody's has become an important bargaining chip for the Warriors after his poor performance in the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic lacks offensive space due to their lack of reliable three-point shooters, and perhaps they can trade Goga Bitaze and 2024 first-round draft pick Tristan Da Silva for Moody.

Bitaze signed a contract that was favorable to the team until the 2026-27 season, while 6-foot-8 versatile winger Da Silva may become a Steve Cole favorite with his selfless and solid off-ball performance.