The Golden State Warriors have a type. When they dream, they dream big. Giannis Antetokounmpo. LeBron James. Kawhi Leonard. These are the names that dominate the trade speculation surrounding the Bay Area this offseason.
And why wouldn’t they? The Warriors have Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter ever, still playing at an All-NBA level. They have a front office that has never been afraid to swing for the fences. And they have a desperate need for size, for athleticism up front, for someone who can take the pressure off a fading Draymond Green and an increasingly unreliable Kristaps Porzingis.
But here’s the thing about swinging for the fences: sometimes you strike out.
So maybe, just maybe, the Warriors should try a different approach. Maybe instead of chasing a unicorn in the frontcourt, they should double down on what they already do best: guard play.
Enter Jamal Murray.
The Denver Nuggets’ star guard is coming off the best season of his career – an All-Star appearance, career-high 25.4 points per game, and shooting splits that would make any analytics nerd blush (48.1% from the field, 43.5% from three). He’s 29 years old. He’s a proven playoff performer. And according to one NBA executive who spoke to Heavy Sports this week, the Nuggets might be ready to move him.
“The guy who has value right now is Murray, and if they move him, they can start making real changes with how that team operates. You can get better role players around Jokic. You can reset, get draft picks. It’s a difficult thing, but that is where your value is.”
The Warriors, meanwhile, are sitting on a treasure chest of draft picks and young talent. They have a lottery pick in the upcoming draft. They have Brandin Podziemski, a budding star who would intrigue any rebuilding team. And they have a massive expiring contract in Jimmy Butler – who is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL.
Could a Murray-to-Golden-State blockbuster actually happen? And more importantly, should it?
Let’s break it all down.
The Case for Going Small: Why the Warriors Should Embrace Their Identity
Let’s start with a simple, uncomfortable truth: the Warriors are never going to be a dominant frontcourt team again.
The days of Andrew Bogut, David West, and a young Draymond Green erasing everything at the rim are over. Kristaps Porzingis, when healthy, is a unicorn – but “when healthy” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Draymond is 36, still brilliant defensively but offensively limited. The Warriors’ frontcourt is a patchwork of question marks.
So why pretend otherwise?
Golden State’s identity has always been about guard play. Curry. Klay Thompson (before he left). Jordan Poole (for one magical season). The Warriors have won championships because their backcourt was better than yours. Period.
Adding Jamal Murray to that backcourt wouldn’t just be an upgrade – it would be a declaration of war.
Curry and Murray together would give the Warriors arguably the best shooting backcourt in NBA history. Murray is a pick-and-roll maestro who can create his own shot, play off the ball, and has already proven he can rise to the biggest moments (hello, 2023 playoffs). Curry, even at 38, remains a gravity-defying force who warps defenses simply by existing.
Defenses would have to choose: double Curry and leave Murray open? Or stay home on Murray and let Curry cook? That’s a nightmare scenario for any opposing coach.
The Nuggets’ Dilemma: Why Denver Might Actually Trade Murray
Now, let’s put on our Denver Nuggets hats for a moment.
The Nuggets are in a weird place. They have Nikola Jokic, the best player in the world, still in his prime. They have a championship pedigree. But they also have a roster that feels… stuck.
One NBA executive put it bluntly:
“The Nuggets are in a no-man’s land and they need a seismic kind of move to get them out.”
That’s harsh, but not unfair. Denver has been good, not great, since their 2023 title. They’ve tried tweaking around the edges. They’ve tried running it back. And they’ve watched the Western Conference get younger, faster, and deeper while their core ages.
Jamal Murray is 29. He’s healthy (for now). And his trade value has never been higher after an All-Star season. If the Nuggets want to reset, to acquire draft capital and younger role players to surround Jokic, this is the summer to do it.
Waiting another year carries risk. Murray has a history of knee injuries. His massive contract – a 208millionextensionthatrunsthrough2029,payinghimover208millionextensionthatrunsthrough2029,payinghimover50 million in each of the next three seasons – is a lot to carry if he misses significant time.
Denver’s front office has to at least explore the market. And few teams can offer what the Warriors can.
The Package: What Golden State Would Send to Denver
So what would a realistic trade package look like?
Let’s start with the centerpiece: Brandin Podziemski.
Podziemski is exactly the kind of player a rebuilding team would covet. He’s young (23), he’s cost-controlled, and he’s already shown flashes of becoming a legitimate starting guard in the NBA. He’s not a star yet, but he could be. For a Nuggets team that would need to reload around Jokic, Podziemski is a perfect fit.
Then there are the draft picks. The Warriors can trade three first-round picks this offseason, including a lottery pick in the upcoming draft. That’s serious ammunition. In a league where draft capital is currency, Golden State is sitting on a small fortune.
And finally, there’s the salary-matching piece: Jimmy Butler.
This is where it gets complicated. Butler tore his ACL in January and is currently rehabbing, with a possible return around November at the earliest. He’s owed $56.8 million next season. For the Warriors to acquire Murray’s salary, Butler’s contract would almost certainly have to be included.
The Nuggets, for their part, could then decide what to do with Butler – keep him as an expiring contract, flip him to a third team, or hope he returns to form and helps them win now.
The Warriors could even sweeten the pot by absorbing Cam Johnson’s contract, which the Nuggets are reportedly eager to move.
The Jimmy Butler Problem: The Warriors’ Emotional Hurdle
This is the part of the trade that gives Golden State pause.
Jimmy Butler is beloved in the Warriors’ locker room. He’s a competitor. A warrior (pun intended). And he’s currently recovering from a major surgery. Trading a player while he’s rehabbing – especially a player as respected as Butler – sends a certain message around the league.
The Warriors are sensitive to that. They pride themselves on treating players the right way. Trading Butler as he rehabs from an ACL tear would be, to put it mildly, an ugly look.
But here’s the counterargument: the NBA is a business. The Warriors have a limited window with Stephen Curry. They cannot afford to be sentimental. If moving Butler is the price of acquiring a 29-year-old All-Star guard who fits perfectly alongside Curry, they have to at least consider it.
It’s a cold calculus, but championship windows are cold.
The Health Factor: Can Jamal Murray Stay on the Court?
Let’s not pretend there’s no risk here.
Murray tore his ACL in 2021. He missed the entire 2021-22 season. He’s been relatively healthy since, but knee injuries have a way of resurfacing. And his playoff resume, while brilliant in 2023, also includes moments where he’s been less than 100%.
The Warriors would be betting 208million–over208million–over50 million per season – that Murray’s health holds up. That’s a significant gamble for a franchise that has already dealt with major injuries to Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry over the years.
But here’s the flip side: when healthy, Murray is a top-15 player in the league. He just proved it by making an All-Star team and posting career-best numbers. And playing alongside Curry would only make his life easier. Defenses can’t load up on Murray when they’re terrified of Curry. He would get cleaner looks, more open threes, and easier driving lanes than he’s ever had in Denver.
The risk is real. But so is the reward.
What the Warriors Would Look Like After a Murray Trade
Let’s dream for a moment.
If the Warriors pull this off, here’s a potential starting five for the 2026-27 season:
PG: Stephen Curry (still elite)
SG: Jamal Murray (All-Star scorer)
SF: Brandin Podziemski (wait, he’d be traded… so maybe Moses Moody or a veteran minimum signing)
PF: Draymond Green (diminished but still brilliant defensively)
C: Kristaps Porzingis (if he re-signs) or a cheaper free-agent big
The bench would be thin – that’s the cost of acquiring a star – but the top six would be terrifying. Curry and Murray together is a backcourt that no team in the Western Conference can match. Not Oklahoma City with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Not Dallas with Luka Doncic. Not Minnesota with Anthony Edwards.
And in the playoffs, when the game slows down and half-court execution matters most, having two guards who can create their own shot, play off each other, and knock down threes from anywhere is a cheat code.
The Giannis Question: Why Murray Might Be Smarter Than the Greek Freak
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: isn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo a better target?
On paper, absolutely. Giannis is a top-3 player in the world. He’s a two-time MVP. He’s a defensive player of the year. He would solve every frontcourt issue the Warriors have.
But here’s the problem: the price for Giannis would be astronomical. We’re talking multiple young players (Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, maybe more), multiple first-round picks (probably four or five), and complete salary-cap paralysis for years. The Warriors would have to gut their roster to make it work.
Murray, by contrast, would cost less. Still significant, but less. And he fits what the Warriors do better than Giannis ever could. The Warriors’ system is built on shooting, spacing, and ball movement. Giannis is a freight train who needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He’s not a shooter. He’s not a spacer. The fit is not seamless.
Murray is a seamless fit. He’s a shooter. He’s comfortable off the ball. He’s played his entire career with a dominant big man (Jokic) and knows how to thrive in that ecosystem. Replace Jokic with Curry, and the adjustment is minimal.
The Golden State Warriors have a decision to make. They can chase the shiny object – Giannis, LeBron, Kawhi – and hope that adding a superstar big man solves their problems. Or they can double down on their identity, lean into their greatest strength, and acquire a guard who can extend the dynasty for years to come.
Jamal Murray is available. The Nuggets are listening. And the Warriors have the assets to make a deal happen.
Yes, there are risks. Murray’s injury history. Jimmy Butler’s emotional departure. The massive contract. But the Warriors are not a team that can afford to play it safe. Stephen Curry is 38. The window is closing. Every season from here on out is a gift.
So here’s the question for Bob Myers (or whoever is making the decisions now): do you want to be remembered as the GM who went down swinging, who made one last bold move to give Curry a chance at another ring? Or do you want to be remembered as the GM who watched the dynasty fade quietly into the night?
Jamal Murray won’t solve every problem. But he might solve the most important one: giving Stephen Curry a partner who can take the weight off his shoulders.
And in the NBA, that’s worth more than all the draft picks in the world.