Warriors’ Mike Dunleavy Jr. downplays likelihood of blockbuster trade

The Warriors rescued their season last February with the bold move to acquire Jimmy Butler, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. isn’t expecting lightning to strike twice.

Speaking on “Warriors Pregame Live” before Monday’s game, Dunleavy acknowledged that another trade of that magnitude would be difficult to pull off.

“We’ll look to do stuff that makes our team better,” Dunleavy said, via Vince Lontz of NBC Sports Bay Area. “But I wouldn’t bank on that type of move. To get a guy like Jimmy Butler, to have the improvement that we did, that’d be pretty unrealistic.”

Golden State was able to land Butler only after the Heat were unable to finalize a deal that would have sent him to Phoenix, which had been widely reported as Butler’s preferred destination.

The Warriors capitalized, and the results were immediate. They closed the regular season on a 23-8 run and advanced past the first round of the playoffs.

That type of turnaround isn’t something Dunleavy is counting on repeating.

Instead, the focus has shifted to cleaning up more basic issues, most notably turnovers. The Warriors are among the league’s worst teams in that area, averaging 16.2 per game, a number that has contributed to their uneven 15-15 start.

“We’ve got to start taking care of the ball,” Dunleavy said. “We’re doing some really good stuff defensively. People talk a lot about our size. When Quinten Post and Draymond Green are in the game, our rim protection is fantastic.”

Dunleavy also pointed to lineup balance on the offensive end.

“When Stephen Curry is off the floor and Jimmy’s out there with the group, our offense is pretty good,” he said.

At any rate, the message from the front office is clear. The Warriors will explore ways to improve, but another blockbuster is unlikely.

The fix, if there is one, may need to come from tightening the screws rather than swinging for the fences.