“I personally think they need some front-court athleticism to compete in the West with Nikola Jokic, Naz Reid, and people like that… They needed some help, I would definitely say, rebounding. Steve Kerr said it himself,” said former Warriors point guard Baron Davis in a recent interview. Right from the early stages of the 2024-25 season, when the team recorded a 12-3 win record only to then lose 9 of their next 13 games, it was apparent that the Bay Area franchise needed to change. The playoffs proved that the memorable acquisition of Jimmy Butler was not enough. More offensive power was needed. With this in mind, a new trade proposal is now going viral, bringing in a surprise entity into the fold.
According to a recent tweet by ‘Ball Report,’ a new trade proposal would see the Golden State Warriors receiving Derrick White, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson, and Tyrese Martin. In exchange, the Bay Area franchise will have to lose quite a bit, as Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, a 2026 FRP (First-Round Pick) & a 2028 FRP will have to be sacrificed. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets would receive Jonathan Kuminga through a sign-and-trade deal.
“Derrick White, who turns 31 in July, has always drawn interest from teams around the league. However, Boston has rebuffed previous inquiries to this point, and he’s still young enough to potentially be a difference-maker during the 2026-27 season when Tatum should be fully healthy.” This is what Michael Scotto wrote in his report published earlier this month. Despite this claim, the NBA off-season has proven no one to be safe from trade speculation. While names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are there due to their own reported concerns with the team, White cannot be simply ruled out due to his reported “sizeable trade package.”
Trade idea between the Warriors, the Celtics and the Nets:
Warriors Receive: Derrick White, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson, tyrese Martin
Celtics Receive: Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, 2026 FRP & 2028 FRP
Nets Receive: Jonathan Kuminga (via sign-and-trade, 4 years / $100M)
Expect… pic.twitter.com/sIsspzrrkV
— Ball Report (@BallReportX) June 11, 2025
Derrick White’s inclusion is certainly a surprise. After all, an earlier trade idea by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes had seen Celtics’ star big man Kristaps Porziņģis head to the Warriors instead. Even in this case, the Celtics would have still received Moses Moody and Buddy Hield, while Trayce Jackson-Davis and Gui Santos would have been the other options. From the looks of it, the Warriors might have less need of a new Center, and more of a two-way guard to cover Stephen Curry and Co. White is certainly that, as he reportedly defends at an elite level, and is known for rarely making the wrong read. Additionally, he can hit 3s from both the catch and the dribble.
From the looks of it, this trade proposal can change things for the better. Unfortunately, several netizens do not believe that is the case.
NBA fans disagree with a Buddy Hield and Derrick White acquisition by the Warriors: “White not worth”
One social media user wrote, “lol. White not worth all that’s going out.”
lol. White not worth all that’s going out.
— ChefDub (@ChefDub30) June 11, 2025
The Warriors had acquired Buddy Hield just last year as a way to cover the offense gap left by Klay Thompson’s exit. Unfortunately, he didn’t perform to the mark the team expected, averaging just 11.1 points through 4.0-9.6 (41.7%) field goals, 2.5-6.7 (37.0%) 3-pointers, and 0.6-0.8 (82.8%) free throws. Therefore, the player is already on the trade chopping block, whether people like it or not. In this case, the best thing to do is to add him to the proposal and hope it is convincing enough to get White, whose 4-year, $118.048 million contract will go into effect next season onwards.
However, Buddy Hield is not all that fans believe is too valuable to trade away for the Celtics star. One individual wrote, “Nah I’d rather hold onto Kuminga. He’s better than any of those young players you’d be getting back”.
That would have been true if it weren’t for the fact that Jonathan Kuminga’s future within the Warriors has been in doubt for a while now. Things changed for the 22-year-old player after he returned from a 31-game absence (due to an ankle injury). After all, amid his absence, the Warriors had acquired Jimmy Butler, who took his place as a starter.
Kuminga saw a reduction in his minutes, was scarcely used in Golden State’s closing lineups, and was even made to play in only 3 of the 7 games against the Houston Rockets in the recent playoff series. This was because, as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed in an interview, “I have to read what we need. I have to read who’s playing well together. And to be very frank, the Jimmy/JK combination has not been great and that’s the tricky part here.”
In light of this, it is clear that Jonathan Kuminga is not immune to a trade.
Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) competes in the three-point contest during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
One social media user wrote, “This trade would not work. Money doesn’t match for the Nets. Now if we traded that same package to the Celtics before re-signing Kuminga, then the deal would work because we would be below the salary cap. Including JK in this deal does nothing other than make the trade impossible.” The Warriors certainly need to keep a check on that salary cap. After all, the team spent the 8th highest amount on salaries in the 2024-25 season, causing their Cap Space to be placed at -$6,073,433 million (as per Spotrac). While getting a star scorer is necessary, it should not come at the expense of incurring more luxury tax.
One individual wrote, “Keep Buddy thoooooo.”
If the Warriors do keep him, the player better prove his worth next season. Otherwise, nothing could save him from being on the chopping block.
One social media user wrote, “Not happenin the roster is staying put.”
Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry taking the offensive charge saved the Warriors’ chances. The team went from being the 11th seed to making it to the Conference Semi-Finals. However, they won against the Houston Rockets in a 7-game series, and the Timberwolves got the better of them by winning 4 consecutive games after losing Game 1. Therefore, it would be hard to justify the current roster as one that can reach the NBA Finals.
Overall, the majority of reactions indicated that people disagreed with the notion that a change needs to take place in this manner. In the end, it remains to be seen whether the Warriors go through with this deal or end up considering Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga too valuable to be traded off.
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