The Golden State Warriors are on the hunt for someone to cover Stephen Curry’s back, and they’ve set their sights on Miami Heat’s veteran Jimmy Butler. The seasoned forward still has some gas left in the tank, and the Warriors want to squeeze out what he still has to give as they look for another shot at the NBA title.
Butler came to the Heat in 2019 from the Philadelphia 76ers via a sign-and-trade deal involving four teams. Butler has performed well under head coach Erik Spoelstra, but injuries have not left him alone.
The 34-year-old forward has missed at least 15 games in each of the past five seasons. He was absent from the first-round series of the last playoffs, in which the Boston Celtics eliminated the Heat on their way to the title.
Despite this, Golden State would be interested in taking the 12-year veteran to fill the gap left by the departure of Klay Thompson in the last free agency.
More than a casual interest in Butler
In conversation with the podcast “The TK Show,” The Athletic insider Sam Amick assured that the Warriors’ management “is interested” in Jimmy Butler and “have probably made a couple of calls” to his colleagues in the Heat to test the waters.
Amick’s statements came days after Heat president Pat Riley hinted that the team is double-thinking extending Butler’s contract. “We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when do we do it. We don’t have to do it until 2025, actually. But we’ll see,” Riley explained.
However, the Miami boss made it clear that there has been no formal discussion or final decision made regarding the forward’s future. However, Butler’s age and health history make him the obvious trade chip in an eventual sign-and-trade.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania had already reported this past June that Butler is not interested in staying with the Heat. According to the analyst, the forward wants to finish his current contract with the team in 2025 to test free agency and would only sign an extension under specific circumstances.
Butler’s place in Golden State
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Butler is eligible to sign a two-year, $113 million extension. But if the forward rejects the extension to become a free agent, the Heat would lose a player without receiving anything in return.
Before that happens, Riley and his management would look for a deal that would give them some profit, and if the Warriors are willing to negotiate, that would be Butler’s destination.
Golden State made a big push to cover for Steph Curry with the additions of DeAnthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson, but the departure of Klay Thompson left a big hole in head coach Steve Kerr’s system.
Averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and five assists in 60 games, Butler has already proven he’s still at the level of the best. With Curry steadily slipping toward the end of his career, there isn’t much time for the team to try its luck in the draft, and bringing in a veteran of Butler’s caliber would be the perfect solution for the team.
