After failing to land All-Stars Paul George and Lauri Markkanen earlier this offseason, the Golden State Warriors are still on the search for a big-name player to pair with franchise superstar Stephen Curry.
If there's a list of stars the Warriors should be monitoring over the next six months, Jimmy Butler would be a prominent name given his current contract uncertainty at the Miami Heat. The 34-year-old is up for an extension and has the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent should he opt out of his player option for 2025-26.
A recent report on Jimmy Butler could enhance the Golden State Warriors chances of trading for the All-Star forward
Would Butler be open to a move away from Miami in the near future? Well according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post on Saturday, the 6x All-Star is fond of Brooklyn even despite the franchise's current rebuilding mode.
"Butler isn’t just open to Brooklyn, but fond of it, sources told The Post. Now, he’s not a Net and he might never get close to becoming one. But to dismiss the possibility out of hand is foolish," Lewis wrote.
Perhaps Butler is opening himself up to the possibility of leaving the Heat after five years and two NBA Finals appearances. If that's the case, a trade could be on the horizon which may give Golden State the opportunity to seize on the Curry co-star they've been looking for.
The Warriors have already been linked to Butler in late May, with Anthony Slater of The Athletic proposing the 13-year veteran as a target after reports of uneasiness in Miami after their first-round playoff series defeat to the Boston Celtics.
Butler missed the entire series through injury and hasn't played more than 65 games in a season since 2016-17. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season, shooting 49.9% from the floor and a career-high 41.4% from three-point range.
Any trade for Butler would be difficult given his $48.8 million contract for next season, and the Warriors would have to commit to a significant extension to eliminate the risk of him departing for Brooklyn or elsewhere in free agency.
