Warriors Emerge as Destination for $146 Million Star, 2-Time East Champ
The Golden State Warriors secured Kevin Durant in 2016 and went on to appear in the next three NBA Finals. Now, they could get in the game for another star forward who might help return them to the promised land.
Jimmy Butler has two years remaining on his $146 million contract with the Miami Heat, which includes a player option in 2025-26. However, the team can sign its best player to a two-year extension worth $113 million this summer.
Butler is 34 years old and has struggled with injury issues in the latter part of his career, playing more than 60 regular season games just once across five years in Miami. If the Heat don’t want to extend Butler and knows he will depart in free agency next summer without a new contract, then he becomes a likely trade chip either this summer or ahead of the in-season deadline — regardless of what team president Pat Riley has said recently about an unwillingness to consider dealing his best player.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report on Friday, May 31, named Golden State a “surprise landing spot” for Butler should he officially become available.
The Golden State Warriors should be aggressive in their pursuit of win-now talent as they try to squeeze out one more title in the Stephen Curry era. … A deal constructed around Andrew Wiggins‘ contract and young talent (Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, etc.) and/or draft compensation should be enough for Riley and Co. to at least entertain a deal.
A core of Curry, Butler, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson (free agent) might struggle to stay healthy and motivated during the regular season, but this group would be a nightmare to go up against during the playoffs.
Trading for Jimmy Butler Would Represent All-In Move on Part of Warriors
As Swartz noted, a deal for Butler will cost the Warriors young talent on affordable contracts and/or future draft picks that offer the same advantage. In other words, making a move for the Heat forward slams the door on anything but a long rebuild in the wake of Curry’s eventual departure from Golden State, either by retirement or other means.
But it also could make the Warriors truly competitive in a Western Conference full of youthful talent on the rise. The best shot the Dubs have of winning another title is to get there before teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves mature into the best versions of themselves through player development and roster construction.
Butler has been the lead author of three runs to the Eastern Conference Finals in Miami, as well as two NBA Finals appearances, over the past five seasons. The team lost both chances at a ring, first to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 (4-2) and then to the Denver Nuggets in 2023 (4-1).
However, Butler’s toughness and tenacity are a perfect match with Green, while his clutch play in the biggest moments is on par with Curry. The attitude and leadership Butler can bring, which are sometimes volatile, may also be what the Warriors need to help galvanize them for one last push to a title over the next couple of years.
Warriors Expected to Make Trade Offer for Jimmy Butler if Heat Make Him Available
The day before Swartz published his notion of Golden State as an emerging destination for Butler, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that the Warriors will have interest in dealing for the forward if the opportunity presents itself.
“If the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, I would expect the Warriors to enter the conversation to at least some degree,” Slater wrote.
