Replacing Curry? Warriors' Epic 3-for-1 Trade Proposal Emerges, New Big Three Could Form, Potentially Secure for Five Years

On September 7 Beijing time, an analysis published by Peter O'Keefe, a columnist for Blue Man Hoops, sparked considerable discussion among Warriors fans. Over the past more than 12 months, trade speculation has consistently identified the Golden State Warriors' top reinforcement target as Pelicans elite 3-and-D player Trey Murphy III. Many fans have assumed that as long as the Warriors are willing to meet New Orleans' asking price, bringing Murphy back to the Bay Area would be a deal that guarantees value.

However, the article presented a completely counterintuitive conclusion: the Warriors do not need to invest massive assets in Murphy. There is another highly cost-effective target on the Pelicans' roster, and the assets Golden State would need to give up to make that deal happen could be significantly lower than what would be required to pursue Murphy.

Over the past season, Trey Murphy III made a major leap on the court. With his average playing time increasing to 35.4 minutes per game, he consistently produced an all-around stat line of 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists, while adding 1.47 steals defensively. He shot 46.9% overall and maintained a 37.9% three-point percentage, becoming one of the league's most sought-after high-level 3-and-D forwards.

Because of that breakout performance, the Pelicans set a very high asking price in trade negotiations: any team wanting to acquire Murphy would need to send at least two unprotected first-round picks, along with multiple first-round pick swaps and second-round picks as additional pieces.

That asking price immediately discouraged the Warriors' front office. Curry is now in the later stage of his career, and Golden State's championship window is rapidly narrowing. Giving away so many valuable future draft assets at once could leave the Warriors stuck in a long-term rebuilding situation if they fail to win another title, leaving little room for adjustment. As a result, talks between the two sides have remained at the preliminary contact stage and have not been able to progress further.

The analysis believes Zion is actually the player the Warriors truly need. When many fans hear Zion's name, their first thought is often his injury concerns. Over the past seven seasons, he has played only 276 regular-season games and has never appeared in the playoffs in his career. Availability is indeed his biggest weakness. But if the evaluation moves beyond availability alone and looks at Zion from the perspective of trade cost, his value may be significantly underestimated by the market.

Zion's contract now has only two years remaining. His salary is $42.16 million for the 2026-27 season and $44.18 million for the 2027-28 season, with total guaranteed salary below $87 million. For the Warriors, the timing of this contract is almost perfectly suited: if a trade is completed before this season's trade deadline, Golden State would only need to take on 1.5 seasons of Zion's salary and would not need to commit to a long-term salary obligation.

More importantly, because of Zion's injury history, the Pelicans' expected asking price for him is far lower than their price for Murphy. According to the columnist's estimate, the Warriors could use Draymond Green and Moses Moody as the main pieces of a trade, along with a relatively low-value ordinary first-round pick, and would have a strong chance of reaching an agreement with New Orleans.

Given the Warriors' current situation, the trial cost of this trade is almost negligible. Golden State's roster is already in a transition period between generations, with its record often hovering around the playoff line and little pressure from expectations. The team could accept the injury risk Zion might bring. As long as he maintains more than 70% healthy availability, the trade would not be a loss.

Many fans worry that Zion's arrival would disrupt the Warriors' long-standing motion offense system, but placing him at power forward could actually give Golden State a completely new tactical dimension. In his career so far, Zion has averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 29 minutes per game, while shooting 60.2% from the field and even developing a 33.2% three-point shot. That level of interior attacking ability is something the Warriors' roster has never possessed in recent seasons.

His presence could tear apart opposing defenses in the paint and create numerous open shooting opportunities for Curry, addressing the Warriors' lack of interior attacking ability in recent seasons. More importantly, Curry's commercial influence is gradually declining as he reaches the end of his career. A player like Zion, who brings his own popularity and has a highly entertaining style of play, could attract many new young fans to the Warriors and create new growth opportunities for the team's ticket sales and commercial value.

If this trade is completed, a Big Three consisting of Curry, Butler and Zion could at minimum secure a play-in tournament spot. As long as they remain healthy, this upgraded Warriors team could become the biggest dark horse in the highly competitive Western Conference. Under ideal circumstances, they could be secure for the next five years.