Are the Warriors and Jimmy Butler destined to come together?
The franchise and the star player both entered the 2024-25 season with a lot of uncertainty. While the Warriors, fresh off missing the playoffs, were entering another year closer to the end of 36-year-old Stephen Curry‘s prime, Butler did not agree to a contract extension with the Heat, putting his future in South Beach in serious jeopardy.
As such, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey believes the time is right for the Warriors to pursue an “ambitious trade” for Butler, who is expected to decline his $52.4 million option for the 2025-26 season and test free agency.
Warriors would get: Butler
Heat would get: Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski, contract fillers
“Working through trades is a lot more complicated under this new collective bargaining agreement. And barring a trade of Draymond Green (in addition to Andrew Wiggins, of course), it’s tough for the Golden State Warriors to piece together enough salary to bring in a star like Jimmy Butler,” Bailey wrote on October 15.
“But we’re undoubtedly at the tail end of Stephen Curry’s window for contending for titles. And the Warriors should be exploring every possibility for extending that timeline. If the Heat stumble out of the 2024-25 gates and start shopping Butler (who again, didn’t get an extension this past summer and can enter free agency next summer), Golden State should explore the possibility.”
Warriors Trade Targets Could Expand
While acknowledging that the Warriors could be forced to trade either Kuminga or Podziemski — their two prized young assets — Bailey argued that the franchise owes it to Curry and Green to give them another shot at an NBA title.
“…If the Warriors wound up with Curry, Butler and Green, they might have one last legitimate shot to get Curry his fifth title. After he brought four to the organization, it owes him that.”
During the 2024 offseason, the Warriors swung for the fences by exploring trades for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen. In both instances, they were reluctant to trade Kuminga or Podziemski, per several insiders.
Bailey’s trade pitch notwithstanding, the Warriors were said to have internally explored the idea of engaging Miami on a Butler trade.
“Jimmy Butler’s going to be a free agent next summer, didn’t get an extension done,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick said on “The TK Show” on September 12. “The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think probably [they] made a couple of calls during the summer.”
The Warriors reportedly have interest in acquiring Jimmy Butler and likely made multiple phone calls to the Heat this summer 👀
Jimmy Butler, Heat on the Clock
With Butler potentially entering his final year with the Heat in 2024-25, the franchise is under immense pressure to get back to title contention, a year after suffering a first-round gentlemen’s sweep by the Celtics.
“I’m told (Jimmy Butler) will not be signing an extension with the Heat or any other team ahead of his opt-out in 2025 free agency.”
@ShamsCharania gave us some updates on Butler’s future
Shortly after the 2023-24 season, Heat president Pat Riley said the franchise was unsure about giving a lucrative contract extension to Butler, citing his injury history and age. The comments immediately sparked speculation of an uneasy relationship between Riley and Butler, propelling reports of an inevitable split.
The strong personalities of Butler and Riley have also been cited as a factor in the two parties potentially butting heads. On the October 8 edition “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh predicted that things could “get ugly fast” if the Heat’s 2024-25 campaign gets off to a losing start.
“Jimmy Butler is one of those larger-than-life personalities that can be great … [and then] gets really tiring, and people start to tune him out,” Haberstroh said. “He is a dude that is going to walk into every locker room, and you’re going to feel him every single time. And so I think when you talk about Jimmy Butler and what the Miami Heat could get for him [in a trade], I do think that you might have this, get this game of chicken between Jimmy Butler and [team president] Pat Riley, two of the most proud personalities, large personalities.”
“… I do feel like Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler, if they’re not right, it’s gonna be ugly fast.”
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