Warriors Urged to Trade Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and Four First-Round Picks for $175,369,698 Superstar

Colin Cowherd thinks the Golden State Warriors will need more than Jimmy Butler to contend for a championship with Steph Curry. The analyst suggested the Warriors are too old to compete in the stacked Western Conference for an 82-game season and then in the playoffs.

Despite a hot start after beating the LA Lakers on opening night, Cowherd remained unfazed as he believes Golden State's best chance to win another ring depends on the trade deadline.

He urged the Warriors to make a blockbuster deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo via a package involving Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and four first-round picks. Here's what Cowherd said on his show on Wednesday (via Herd w/Colin Cowherd):

"Jimmy Butler's a fling. He's not a phase, and I think it's time for the fling at the trade deadline to end. And I love Jimmy Butler. But Steve Kerr is too smart to think that 37-year-old Steph [Curry], 35-year-old Draymond [Green], 36-year-old Jimmy Butler, and now 39-year-old Al Horford can compete in the West.

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"They can't, they can't. So last night, game one, three months off, they can't. And what I would do, and I'm told you can do it at the trade deadline ... I would move Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and four first-round picks for Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and see if it's enough."

From a logistical standpoint, the trade doesn't work out as presented by Colin Cowherd. The Bucks would also need to match Jonathan Kuminga's $22,500,000 salary with other contracts.

As for a direct Giannis Antetokounmpo for Jimmy Butler trade is possible. Antetokounmpo will make $54,126,450 of his $175,369,698 contract this year, while Butler will also make the exact sum.

The teams may need to involve a third trade partner to complete the trade due to Kuminga's salary and the Bucks potentially declining Butler.

However, Cowherd made a compelling case for Milwaukee to do it, considering the Warriors forward's history at Marquette in college. He also advocated for the importance four first-round picks hold over the upcoming drafts, citing the quality of talent.

Will Warriors make the bold decision to ship Jimmy Butler at trade deadline if Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available?

If the Warriors are to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they must move Jimmy Butler. No framework will allow Golden State to retain roster depth without doing so. However, the key question is not how, but rather if the Warriors would make such a bold decision.

For starters, they've been largely successful with Butler. They are 24-7 with the two-time NBA finalist in the lineup. His chemistry with Steph Curry and Draymond Green has been spot on since the get-go. Butler has also crushed any concerns regarding his health.

There's no certainty on how long that streak lasts, but for now, there's nothing for the Warriors to worry about despite the star's aging. Golden State has also shown reluctance in mortgaging its future in the past.

However, that was when the team was in the Lauri Markkanen sweepstakes. The Finnish talent doesn't have the same magnitude as a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been deemed a dream target for the Warriors.

Antetokounmpo will turn 31 in December, so he still has plenty of years left in his prime. He could take over the reins as the franchise star from Steph Curry and Draymond Green, which is different from Jimmy Butler's situation, whose career timeline would likely align with his two co-stars.

Realistically, the Warriors might have just one championship run left with this core, considering their four most experienced players (including Al Horford) are in their late 30s. Should this experiment with an aging core work through the trade deadline, it makes more sense to retain it and pursue Antetokounmpo in the offseason instead.

It could prolong Steph Curry's timeline to win another championship with a bona fide MVP-caliber player next to him. Midseason blockbuster trades rarely ever work, so it gives the Warriors all the more reason not to pull the plug on Jimmy Butler this early.

Edited by Arhaan Raje