Getty Andrew Wiggins with Brandin Podziemski.
The Golden State Warriors have assets to make a trade this offseason, giving them an opportunity to pair Stephen Curry with a new co-star. In a massive three-team proposed trade by Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the Warriors would send Andrew Wiggins and more to the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. The headline of the deal would be Jimmy Butler being traded to the Warriors.
Warriors would get: Butler, Cole Anthony, and Caleb Houstan
Heat would get: Wiggins, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, a 2025 first-round pick from Golden State, a 2027 first-round pick from Golden State, a 2029 first-round pick from Golden State, and a 2026 second-round pick from Orlando (via Detroit and/or Milwaukee)
Magic would get: Chris Paul, Orlando Robinson
“This may not reopen Golden State’s title window for long, but it would open it pretty wide. Durability is a concern, but Butler was arguably a top 5-10 player in 2022-23 and a borderline top-20 player this season,” Bailey wrote on May 31. “His cutting, playmaking and passing would be a nightmare to cover with Curry and Thompson flanking him. He and Green could form the basis of a potentially nightmarish defense.
“If he were to play to the peak of his powers in 2024-25 (accounting for the natural decline that comes with age, of course), he’d be the second-best teammate Curry’s ever had (behind Kevin Durant, of course).”
Golden State Warriors to Show ‘Some Degree’ in Interest in Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat haven’t finalized an extension with Butler, which has caused some trade speculation. Anthony Slater of The Athletic wrote that if the Heat do make Butler available, he expects the Golden State Warriors to “enter the conversation.”
“If the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, I would expect the Warriors to enter the conversation to at least some degree,” Slater wrote on May 30.
John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote on May 2 that Butler’s “declining play” and “constant absences” have caused loud whispers that his future might be elsewhere.
“Jimmy Butler is extension-eligible, but between his declining play this season and the constant absences, there are increasingly loud whispers that his future might not be in Miami,” Hollinger wrote.
How Butler Would Help the Warriors
Landing Butler in the proposed deal from Bailey would see the Golden State Warriors make a huge deal. However, with Curry only getting older, it could be the right decision to push all their chips in.
Moving Wiggins, Moody, and Podziemski would be tough to replace. Wiggins, when at his best, is one of the top defenders in the NBA. Moody and Podziemski have shown well during their young careers, and moving young players for a short title window could always come back to hurt them.
However, Butler’s still a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, and has made five All-Defensive teams during his career. During the playoffs, he’s made a name for himself by elevating his game to a high level, averaging 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists during the 2022-23 playoffs.
The 34-year-old will turn 35 at the start of the 2024-25 season but could help take the offensive load off Curry in the regular season. Butler would also give the Warriors another proven playoff performer, helping them to chase another ring.