4 Terrible Jimmy Butler trade ideas that will never happen
2. Golden State Warriors
Trade proposal:
Warriors receive: Jimmy Butler
Heat receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Kevon Looney, 2025 first round pick, 2027 first round pick
The Golden State Warriors find themselves in a transitional phase in the history of their franchise. Following their achievement of four championships, the Warriors experienced their first playoff absence with a fully fit roster, including Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, after losing in the Play-In game against the Sacramento Kings.
At 36 years old, Curry is approaching the twilight of his illustrious career. Thompson entered unrestricted free agency for the first time and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Green endured the longest suspension of his career last season, missing 12 games due to an incident involving a foul on Jusuf Nurkic of the Phoenix Suns. Owner Joe Lacob has publicly expressed a desire for the Warriors to avoid the luxury tax next season, following substantial tax payments during their championship runs.
If the Warriors pursued a trade for Jimmy Butler, the big question would be do they have enough assets to interest the Heat? Now that Thompson and Chris Paul are off the roster, to make the money work, a likely deal would probably see Golden State send Miami Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II (if he opts into the final year of his deal), Kevon Looney, and Brandin Podziemski. They would likely also have to fork over first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and potentially 2029.
Historically, the Warriors have taken bold actions in response to roster uncertainties. Notably, they signed Kevin Durant in free agency in 2016. Last offseason, they executed a surprising trade for Chris Paul, aimed at achieving immediate success while also considering long-term financial implications, especially given the precarious nature of Jordan Poole's contract, which now seems burdensome for the Washington Wizards. Currently, the Warriors may emerge as a potential destination for Butler.
Actually acquiring him would pose a challenge for the Warriors on multiple fronts. The primary obstacle is related to assets. Golden State's top young talents include Jonathan Kuminga, who shares a similar position with Bam Adebayo, Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic, and Brandin Podziemski, who has some overlap with Tyler Herro, as neither are traditional point guards. Additionally, the Warriors have already traded away their 2024 and 2030 first-round draft picks, limiting their ability to offer picks until 2026 and 2028 due to the Stepien Rule.
Even if the Warriors manage to secure Butler, they would face several years of luxury tax implications. While Curry is under contract for two more years, his significance to the team suggests he will continue to command substantial salaries until his retirement. Green's contract is relatively reasonable in today's NBA landscape, but his $24 million salary for the next season is not insignificant. Committing max contracts to Butler and Curry would result in continued luxury tax payments for the Warriors, with the added burden of being a repeater team.