Nice! Yang Hansen is ecstatic! The Warriors are interested in trading for a 28-year-old center.

Since Curry came back, the Warriors have lost three consecutive games...

Up to now this season, the Warriors hold a 13-15 record, placing ninth in the Western Conference with a 46.4% winning percentage, just two wins ahead of the Mavericks who are in 11th place.

Frankly speaking, with the Warriors’ current strength, securing a play-in spot shouldn’t be an issue, but aiming for the championship is extremely difficult unless they make significant moves in the upcoming trade market with major acquisitions.

According to reports from U.S. media,the Warriors and Mavericks may have held preliminary talks about a trade swapping Butler (earning $54.13 million this season) and Anthony Davis (also $54.13 million).

So far this season, 36-year-old Butler averages 19.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game with a shooting percentage of 52%; 32-year-old Anthony Davis averages 19.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game with a shooting accuracy of 50.5%.

Butler has faced criticism this season mostly because, despite his massive salary, his offensive effort has been lacking, averaging only 11.7 shot attempts per game and failing to adequately share the scoring burden with Curry.

In reality, he has never been a high-volume shooter during the regular season, typically taking around a dozen shots per game; it’s only in the playoffs that he really steps up, such as in the 2023 playoffs when he averaged 20.1 shot attempts per game.

Playing for a high-profile team like the Warriors in a major market, Butler faces much more public scrutiny than he did with previous teams like the Bulls, Timberwolves, 76ers, and Heat, so perhaps it’s time for him to adjust and start his playoff mode earlier.

Back to the point, if the Warriors cannot acquire an All-Star big man like Anthony Davis or Giannis Antetokounmpo,their alternative targets include blue-collar centers such as Claxton from the Nets, Gafford from the Mavericks, and Loew from the Trail Blazers.

Loew is great; the Warriors definitely must pursue Loew — those who know, know. (Winking emoji)

However, 28-year-old Loew is indeed the easiest player for the Warriors to acquire. First, he is in a contract year this season (earning $13.29 million), and the Trail Blazers have already considered trading him; second, Loew’s injury-prone nature and low availability limit his trade value, so the Warriors can get him for a relatively small price.

In short, the Warriors desperately need to improve. Change might not guarantee success, but it’s certainly better than slow decline through stagnation.