The Golden State Warriors are the odds-on favorite to land Jimmy Butler after the six-time NBA All-Star’s latest comments put more pressure on the Miami Heat to ship him before the February 6 trade deadline.
Floridabet.com has installed the Warriors as a +1250 favorite (7.4% chance), with the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets tied with the second-best odds at +1750 (5.4% chance). The Denver Nuggets have the third-best odds at +2500 (3.8% chance), while the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns are tied at +3000 (3.2% chance).
On Thursday, January 2, ESPN reported that Butler has already asked the Heat to trade him following his fourth-quarter benching in the Heat’s 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball,” Butler told reporters after scoring only nine points on six shots in 27 minutes. “Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon.”
The ESPN report added Butler “does not plan to furnish the Heat with a list of favored destinations” after an earlier report suggested he listed four teams — Houston, Dallas, Golden State and Phoenix — as his preferred win-now destinations.
Jimmy Butler Wants To Be Dominant Again
Butler was more direct this time than in his previous cryptic interviews.
“I’m happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop, and I want to help this team win, and right now, I’m not doing it,” Butler said.
His usage rate has decreased this season to 21.2%, the lowest mark of his career since his third season in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls during the 2013-14 season.
“I’m going out there to compete either way; whether I score nine points or 29 points, I will compete,” Butler told reporters. “You won’t say I’m not out there playing hard. It may look like that because my usage is down, and I don’t shoot the ball a lot, but [you can’t say] I’m not playing hard.”
When asked if he can get his joy back on the court with the Heat, Butler had a meaningful response: “Probably not.”
Butler cannot afford the Heat to devalue him while he’s essentially on a contract year. The Heat star is inclined to decline his $52.4 million player option for next season to enter unrestricted free agency, according to Charania.
Warriors Still Looking To ‘Add a Star Player’
The Warriors have been aggressive in their pursuit of major upgrades on their roster since the last trade deadline.
Golden State inquired about LeBron James, but their advances were quickly rebuffed. They tried to kick the tires on Paul George, but the Los Angeles Clippers decided to let him walk as a free agent instead of helping their Western Conference rival improve. They also made a run at Lauri Markkanen, but the Utah Jazz have a high asking price.
Their interest in making such a blockbuster move is still on the table, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, even after they traded for Dennis Schröder.
“Sources said the Warriors are looking to add a star player — a playmaker, scorer — alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green,” Charania wrote in the ESPN report.
Butler fits the bill.
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Warriors Now Odds-On Favorite To Land Jimmy Butler After Latest Comments