Photo: Peter Baba

Last summer, the Warriors aimed to land a star and pursued a sign-and-trade for Paul George, but he opted out and signed with the Sixers.

They then targeted power forward Lauri Markkanen, but he extended with the Utah Jazz and became ineligible for a trade.

After missing out, Golden State pivoted to adding strong role players like De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson.

However, Melton was lost to injury early, Hield and Wiggins were inconsistent, Kuminga missed time, and midseason addition Dennis Schröder struggled to fit in.

With the team treading water at 25-25, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. made a bold move at the trade deadline, acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami and extending him on a two-year max deal.

While Butler came with baggage – including a Heat-imposed suspension – he quickly settled in and led the Warriors to a 23-7 finish in his 30 regular-season games.

Golden State earned the No. 7 seed, upset the No. 2 Rockets in round one, and won Game 1 vs. Minnesota before Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring injury that ended his postseason.

The Warriors lost the next four games without Curry, ending their run, but Butler’s impact changed the outlook. Entering the 2025 offseason, Golden State finally has its co-star for Curry.

The focus now shifts to building a stronger supporting cast around their core of Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green for another title push.

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