A recent report indicates that the Golden State Warriors are interested in acquiring Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. The Athletic’s Sam Amick also alleged that the Warriors have — all in likelihood — called the Heat regarding Butler sometime this summer.
“Jimmy Butler’s gonna be a free agent next summer,” Amick said on the subject of players the Warriors could add to complement Stephen Curry. “Didn’t get an extension done — the Warriors, as you know, have interest there. And I think probably made a couple calls during the summer.”
Amick’s report comes only days after the Sun Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman claimed that the Heat could make a decision on Butler’s future in Miami as soon as the trade deadline.
“The NBA appears as set as it has been for years in September,” Winderman wrote. “As for your point, the Heat are positioned to play out Jimmy Butler’s contract and still have ample time to then move ahead with the franchise’s next generation. Now it just comes down to a matter of the timing of such a transition, which could be by February’s NBA trading deadline or by Jimmy Butler’s opt-out decision and that late-June deadline. It is a proposition that likely will remain fluid, with an extension seemingly not even a talking point on either side.”
Butler has been with the Heat since the 2019-20 campaign, and Miami has consistently been one of the best teams in the NBA since he’s arrived. In Butler’s five seasons with the squad, Miami has reached the Eastern Conference Finals on three occasions and also represented the conference in the NBA Finals twice.
However, last season the Heat had one of their least successful seasons in the Butler era. Miami barely squeaked into the 2024 NBA Playoffs, considering the Heat finished with a regular-season record of 46-36 and secured the No. 8 and final seed in the conference.
The Heat matched up against a juggernaut of a Boston Celtics team in the first round, and Miami was totally outmatched for much of the best-of-seven series.
Miami lost the series in a gentleman’s sweep, and every one of the team’s four losses came by 14 points or more. Additionally, three of the Heat’s losses came by 20 points or more.
The Heat saved perhaps their most embarrassing loss of the series for the deciding Game 5. Miami mustered only 84 points as a team and lost by 34 in a game that was decided well before the final buzzer sounded.
When taking into account the lack of success that the Heat enjoyed last season, it’s understandable as to why the Warriors have probably reached out about Butler’s availability.
