The Golden State Warriors entered the 2025-26 NBA season with high expectations, but it proved to be a campaign to forget. The Warriors lost Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL in January and ended up missing the playoffs by losing in the final game of the play-in tournament to the Phoenix Suns.
It has become crystal clear that the Warriors won’t be serious title contenders in the Stephen Curry era moving forward if they don’t make a big move. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo appears beyond reach, but soon-to-be-free agent LeBron James isn’t.
Curry reportedly plans to meet with James to convince him to join forces, and the Warriors could make that task a bit easier while also addressing a need. They haven’t really had a great big man during this era, and Anthony Davis might become available. Davis is said to be dropping hints about wanting out of the Washington Wizards.
You doubt the Wizards would be desperate to hold on to Davis, and Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley thinks the Warriors could look into acquiring him. Apart from being a good fit, he could also help boost their pitch to James, as they are good friends and were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The Warriors seemingly don’t have the stomach to place an all-in wager on Giannis Antetokounmpo—which, frankly, might not be enough to get him, anyway—but how about a half-in gamble on Davis? They need the kind of size, strength, and interior protection he’d provide. Plus, he might be the perfect recruiter to grant their LeBron James wish in free agency.”
So, what would a Davis trade look like? Well, here’s what Buckley put together.
Proposed Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Anthony Davis
Washington Wizards Receive: Jimmy Butler, No. 11 pick, 2030 first-round swap (21-30 protected)
The Warriors Get A Huge Frontcourt Boost
The Warriors looked to address their frontcourt woes this season by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks in February. Porzingis did well, but he is a free agent this summer and could head out of town.
While that would be a blow, Davis would be an upgrade over Porzingis. The 10-time All-Star averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game for the Dallas Mavericks in 2025-26.
Davis is still an outstanding defender, and a frontcourt of him and Draymond Green would greatly elevate the Warriors on that end of the floor. The 33-year-old provides inside scoring as well, something they have lacked.
The Warriors averaged 45.0 points in the paint per game in 2025-26, which ranked 26th in the NBA. Davis averaged 13.1 points in the paint per game in 2025-26, which ranked sixth. He adds a different kind of weapon to the Warriors’ arsenal.
James would help in that regard, too, if we assume Davis convinces him. He averaged 11.1 points in the paint per game, which ranked 20th. James also gives the Warriors another excellent playmaker in the lineup and can ease some of the scoring load on Curry.
The Wizards Another Lottery Pick In 2026 And An Interesting Trade Piece
The Wizards have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and are expected to select AJ Dybantsa with it. This trade gives them a second lottery pick at No. 11, and Buckley has them selecting Nate Ament with it.
“He’s probably the biggest risk-reward prospect in this class, but there’s a reason he was once regarded as a top-five talent. He’s a 6’10” swingman who can handle, shoot, and pass. Those players don’t come around often.”
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2025-26. If the Wizards develop him well, they’d have two outstanding forwards to build around.
The Wizards also get the injured Butler here, and they could potentially flip him for more assets, provided he returns at some point later this year and is operating at a fairly high level before the trade deadline.
Butler had averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Warriros in 2025-26 before going down with the injury. With ACL tears no longer being a career death sentence, you’d imagine he will be just fine.
The Wizards get a pick swap down the road in 2030 as well, and that could prove to be valuable, as the Curry era would have ended by then.
A Risky Deal For The Warriors
While there are pros for the Warriors, there is also one major con: severe injury risk. Davis played 20 games this season and 51 in 2024-25. He isn’t going to get healthier as he ages.
There is an injury risk with James, too, as he is 41 years old. Curry, meanwhile, is 38 and managed to play just 43 games this season. Green isn’t much younger at 36.
There is a very small chance that each of these four will stay relatively healthy next season. It’s instead very likely that we’ll see two or even three of them miss significant time.
So, this would be the definition of boom or bust. On the odd chance everyone is healthy for the playoffs, the Warriors would be a force to be reckoned with. If a couple of the big names can’t go, though, they’d be bounced out early.
All things considered, the Warriors should probably look at someone other than Davis.
