The Golden State Warriors are trying to squeeze all they can out of the rest of star guard Stephen Curry’s time in the league. Curry has led the Warriors to four titles during his time in the NBA, but Golden State has won just one playoff series since claiming the 2022 NBA title and is amid a rough patch at the moment.
Trading for a player of Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler’s caliber might be a move that the Warriors need to make in order to contend for a title this season, and a new report suggests that Golden State could be the most realistic landing spot for the 35-year-old among the teams that have been linked to him.
“League insiders continue to describe Golden State, as things currently stand, as the only team of the four most frequently mentioned as potential Butler suitors as having an interest in the 35-year-old that could eventually lead to some substantive trade talks,” NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported.
“Houston and Dallas have not registered tangible interest in a Butler trade pursuit while the aforementioned [Phoenix] Suns could realistically only construct a workable offer for Butler if the Heat were willing to take on Bradley Beal. Miami, remember, had no shortage of reservations about Beal in the 2023 offseason and abruptly abandoned its interest in trading for him then, partly put off by the no-trade clause in Beal’s deal but also the sheer salary numbers involved.”
Butler has been linked to the Warriors in trade rumors in the past, and a recent report from ESPN’s Shams Charania added fuel to the fire.
The Warriors began the season looking like a new and improved squad compared to a year ago, as Golden State kicked off the campaign with a record of 12-3. New addition Buddy Hield looked like the perfect replacement for sharpshooter Klay Thompson, and the team’s bench was playing at an incredibly high level.
But following the Warriors’ hot start, the team has lost seven of its past nine contests. Golden State has had a tough schedule of late and hasn’t been able to keep up.
The Warriors likely knew that there would be some rocky points this season in their new post-Thompson era, but if they want to pump some life into the franchise, adding Butler would likely do the trick in more ways than one.
Interestingly, the Warriors and Heat will face off on Jan. 7 — about one month before the trade deadline this season — at Chase Center. Maybe that contest will mark the last time that Butler faces off against the Warriors as an opponent, but only time will tell.