Sam Amick of The Athletic made headlines with his recent take on the future of the Warriors franchise and what they might do to improve the team. It is no secret that Golden State came up short in acquiring Paul George this offseason, so it would make sense for them to go after a player of similar caliber.
"Jimmy Butler is going to be a free agent next summer. 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," said Amick.
Teaming Butler with Stephen Curry sounds like a fantastic idea if you are Golden State, but how realistic is it?
The Miami Heat would potentially be open to the idea, with Butler's contract set to expire at the end of the season. The star forward has a player option for 2025-26, but there is no guarantee that Butler would exercise it.
Miami is still a borderline contender in the Eastern Conference, but if the Heat have a slow start to the season, trading the six-time all-star could be a smart move.
"We have not discussed that internally right now," said Pat Riley on a potential extension during his 2024 exit interview.
If the Warriors traded for Butler, they would almost certainly lose Jonathan Kuminga long term. Kuminga is also a free agent after this season, and he is reportedly seeking a large extension, potentially even a max deal.
The Heat would likely ask for the 21-year-old in a trade, but Golden State would have difficulty fitting Kuminga, Butler, and Curry into their salary cap even if he was not included. They are already paying Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green upwards of $24 million each for the next two seasons.
The deal could be done, but both parties would have to weigh their options. Even if it seems good on the surface, there are a lot of moving parts, and both teams would need to feel like it is time to change directions.
If Miami does not look like a championship contender by the trade deadline and the Warriors decide that Kuminga is not a max player, a Butler trade to Golden State starts to look realistic.
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