Since a 12-3 start that has proven to be a heaping haul of fool’s gold, the Golden State Warriors have lost two out of every three games over the last two months, showing a bottom-five offense and bottom-10 defense. They’ve always been on the fringes of trade rumors, but aside from a small deal for Dennis Schroder, they haven’t made significant moves since the summer when they expressed interest in stars like Paul George and Lauri Markannen.

The prevailing thought has always been that Stephen Curry remains too great to abandon title hopes. However, the way this season has unfolded, realistic hopes for a trade that may elevate them to contention seem slim. This keeps the front office from compromising its vision of a promising future.

Recently, discussions regarding a potential trade for Jimmy Butler have heated up. Originally, the Warriors seemed reluctant to engage with Miami’s high asking price, which was wise since Butler alone wouldn’t propel them to contention, and his contract demands could complicate matters, especially considering his age.

However, with reports stating that Miami is ready to lower their expectations to move Butler, the Warriors must reconsider. They find themselves in a pivotal moment to re-engage in negotiations for Butler and capitalize on this opportunity.

Various outcomes could materialize, including hybrid deals involving Andrew Wiggins or Draymond Green to make salaries match. Questions arise about Miami’s interest in absorbing these salaries, considering their goal of creating cap space for upcoming free agents. Despite Miami’s potential interest in Julius Randle, the Warriors cannot miss an opportunity to bolster their team, especially when this offers a pathway to retaining their core future assets while still competing now.

If the Warriors are serious about competing, this may be the moment to pull the trigger on a Butler trade before it slips away.