Does Adding Butler Make the Warriors a Championship Contender?

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As reported earlier this week by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Miami Heat are open to trading six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler for the right deal. Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee would mention multiple teams for Butler was open to going to, looking at win-now contenders. The four teams that would be mentioned include the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.

Even though the Rockets have the assets in terms of both young players and draft picks, a trade will not happen according to Rockets GM Rafael Stone. During a SiriusXM radio interview, Stone would express his feelings on the Rockets core:

“We like where we’re at. We want to continue to develop our guys, full stop. Will I listen to other teams? Of course I will, that’s my job. But again, no, there’s no part of me, there’s no part of our decision-making process that suggests that we’re looking to do anything big now or in the near term. We definitely — we want this group to be as good as it can be this year and then we’ll evaluate things at the end of the year.”

Stone would previously say the Rockets core of Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green were off limits, along with other young players including Tari Eason and Amen Thompson.

For the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, money is the key factor as to why a move is unlikely. For Dallas, a not involving Kyrie Irving would have to include a combination of players and other assets. With the Mavericks being a first-apron team, they would not be able to take more money back than sending out. A package including Klay Thompson (who is available to be traded on December 15th), P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Quentin Grimes would deplete the depth around their core. For the Suns, a trade would have to involve one of their big three, with the team unlikely to trade Booker and Durant and Beal having a no-trade clause.

For the Golden State Warriors, they may be the best fit for Butler. Like the Mavs, the Warriors are locked in as a first-apron team, limiting what they can. A proposed trade for the Warriors could include Andrew Wiggins, De’Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga, and Lindy Waters III.

Wiggins has had a bounce-back season after a couple of down seasons post-2022 championship while De’Anthony Melton is currently recovering from an ACL tear earlier this season. The most intriguing piece for Miami would be Kuminga, who has shown star potential but isn’t the right piece next to Stephen Curry. With the two sides not agreeing on a rookie contract extension, Kuminga will be a restricted free agent this summer with multiple teams interested in him.

While the Warriors have been a deep team so far this season, the potential of the team this season starts and ends with Curry. While the 36-year-old is still putting up superstar numbers, Steph alone cannot carry the Warriors to the NBA Finals. Looking to maximize Golden State’s championship window with Curry, Jimmy Butler would the Warriors a much-needed reliable second star.

Even though he is having a slow start to the 2024-25 season, Butler is putting up numbers that would help the Warriors compete with the best teams in the Western Conference. Putting up 19.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.8 APG, Butler has remained a reliable star despite injuries and just turning 35. Having missed out on multiple stars this past offseason, there are not a lot of options for a Warriors team looking to compete. With rumors suggesting Butler will not pick up his player option for the 2025-26 season, the second half of the season would allow the Warriors to assess Butler’s play and offer a suitable contract next summer.

Currently sitting at 14-10 and 5th in the Western Conference, the Warriors have struggled after a strong start. In their last 10 games, the Warriors have gone 3-7, including a controversial loss in the final seconds of their NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup against the Houston Rockets. With teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers right behind them in the standings, the Warriors are in danger of not only falling in the standings but out of the playoff picture as well.

With it being unknown how much longer Stephen Curry will be one of the best players in the league, the team will do what they can to maximize his chance of winning another championship. They have the assets to make the trade, including players and all of their first-round draft picks through 2029. With the 2025 trade deadline just under eight weeks away, the Golden State Warriors making a trade and Jimmy Butler being traded may both be inevitable.