“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space…..” said Stephen Curry a few weeks ago. Despite the Warriors depleting their playoff chances because of a poor win record, the Three-Point Leader did not want to get an older, experienced veteran at the expense of young players. Unfortunately, that is what happened yesterday, when the front office acquired Jimmy Butler at the expense of Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round pick. Despite this, Mike Dunleavy is confident that acquiring another older player would not cause as much trouble as one would be made to believe.

The Warriors GM was questioned before the recent Lakers-Warriors matchup. One reporter highlighted that Butler is set to make $54 million next year under the terms of his new contract. This does not leave the team with much of a breather in terms of salary cap. However, Dunleavy assured that the team was satisfied with the chosen path.

The Bay Area franchise boasts three older generational players now. At the same time, as Dunleavy highlighted, “it also holds a lot of complimentary pieces. We’ve got assets, we’ve got young players”. Therefore, “in terms of our financial stuff, there’s a commitment. But, you know, on the whole, I think there is a lot of flexibility, the ability to improve the roster. Change things we need to do to compliment this core.”

There is no denying that Stephen Curry and Draymond Green’s NBA tenure is slowly drawing to a close. The Three-Point Leader is 36 years of age, and the Power Forward is 34. Therefore, the upcoming seasons could be the last ones they play. The duo have limited time to add on additional Larry O’Brien trophies to their already impressive 4. Given his veteran experience, Jimmy Butler can valuably assist in getting the Warriors to a playoff-contending position. At the same time, Dunleavy assured fans of the team’s assets. They are enough to ensure that the Warriors will be in a stable position once the veteran trio retires.

Together, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler will cost the Warriors $139.6 million next season. The current Salary Cap has reached $199.2 million, putting the team way over the luxury tax and apron limits. For Dunleavy, the upcoming season provides more opportunities than trouble. After all, he added, “Come this draft, I think, you know, we’ll have multiple unprotected picks available. Pick swaps and anything else on the roster people find attractive. So, I think, from that standpoint, we can evaluate this roster some more. And if there is any moves that need to be made, we’ll be in the game for those, just like we’ve been for everything else”. The Luxury Tax and Apron Limits didn’t stop the GM from enacting the needed changes.

Dunleavy being open to change would be good news for Stephen Curry. Not so much for another player, whose expiring contract puts him in trade jeopardy. Fortunately, the GM may have hinted at this power forward’s longevity alongside his other remarks.

Mike Dunleavy hints at Jonathan Kuminga’s future amidst the expiring contract: “Important to keep”

To get Jimmy Butler, the Warriors cut ties with three key young players. Andrew Wiggins’ trade especially came as a shock to head coach Steve Kerr, who stated “Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached”.

If the front office was willing to take action to cut ties with those players, what stops them from doing the same with Jonathan Kuminga? The ongoing season is the last of the player’s 4-year, $24.855 million rookie contract, after which he will become a restricted free agent.

A few reporters would have thought the same thing too. Therefore, one of them asked Mike Dunleavy about how important it was to keep Jonathan Kuminga and Brandon Podziemski in the future. The GM replied, “Yeah, I mean, all these guys are important to keep.” This means that Dunleavy has adjusted his duo on his long-term plans. For how long those plans will continue is something that remains to be seen.

Do you believe that the Warriors can still enact some useful changes after Jimmy Butler’s acquisition? Let us know in the comments section below.