Three-Team NBA Trade Idea Gives Warriors' Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler Three New Teammates

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs in five games. 

Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 and missed the rest of the series. 

The Warriors, who won Game 1, lost four consecutive games without Curry. 

Golden State made a blockbuster trade in February, acquiring All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Now, one NBA analyst has proposed that the Warriors make another big trade this offseason. 

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report came up with the following trade idea involving the Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets: 

Bulls get: Jonathan Kuminga.

Warriors get: Lonzo Ball, Jalen Smith, Josh Okogie, 2026 Portland Trail Blazers protected first-rounder (from Bulls), 2029 second-rounder (from Hornets), 2029 Denver Nuggets second-rounder (from Hornets), 2031 second-rounder (from Hornets), 2031 Phoenix Suns second-rounder (from Hornets).

Hornets get: Moses Moody, Jevon Carter.

Kuminga becomes a restricted free agent this offseason. The small forward and the Warriors are expected to explore sign-and-trade scenarios once the 2025 NBA Finals end. 

"The trade needs to wait until July 6, when Kuminga can sign a contract, starting at $30.4 million," Pincus wrote. "Charlotte uses its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to take in Carter, leaving a $7.3 million balance and triggering a first-apron hard cap.

"The Bulls also gain a first-apron hard cap by taking in a player via sign-and-trade. The Warriors are hard-capped at the second apron by bringing back players for Kuminga in the sign-and-trade and using aggregation. The Trail Blazers' first is lottery-protected."

This trade idea would send Ball, Smith and Okogie to the Warriors, who have won four championships in the Curry-Draymond Green era. 

Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Bulls this season, Smith averaged 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Bulls, and Okogie averaged 7.1 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns and Hornets.