
There was a time when the Golden State Warriors felt unstoppable. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson formed the iconic ‘Splash Brothers’ duo, winning four NBA Championships along the way. Yet, the Warriors haven’t brought an NBA Finals trophy back to Dub Nation since 2022.
The Warriors didn’t even make the postseason last year, but they’re back in the mix this season, entering NBA games today with a 28-27 record. However, that’s only good for 10th place in the Western Conference playoff race. Had they been able to pull of these two trades, their chances of making the playoffs may have increased dramatically.
Golden State Warriors wanted Curry, LeBron and Durant

The Golden State Warriors did end up trading for Jimmy Butler before the NBA trade deadline passed. However, they appeared more interested in adding a pair of future Hall of Famers.
According to Hoops Wire’s Ashish Mathur, the Warriors were hoping to acquire both LeBron James and pursue a reunion with Kevin Durant. However, Durant didn’t want to be traded by the Suns and the same goes for LeBron regarding a departure from the Lakers.
Thus, the Warriors pivoted to trading for Butler, and the rest is history. The Lakers ended up making the biggest NBA trade deadline blockbuster by acquiring Luka Doncic when the rest of the league didn’t even know the superstar was even remotely available.
Related: NBA MVP race 2024-25: Where does Stephen Curry stand?