Jimmy Butler has two years remaining on his $146 million deal. He will earn $48.7 million next season. The Miami Heat could look to move on from Butler in an attempt to clear some cap space and begin re-tooling their roster around Bam Adebayo.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors could emerge as a potential suitor for Butler, should he become available during the offseason.
“We discussed some of the Warriors’ options on our offseason preview podcast,” Slater said. “Two quick situations of note: If Brandon Ingram hits the trade market, I would not expect the Warriors to show interest. If the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, I would expect the Warriors to enter the conversation to at least some degree.”
Butler would be the sledgehammer the Warriors need. With the spacing that Steph Curry provides, Butler would be free to pressure the rim at will. He would also provide elite-level wing defense and a strong style of leadership. When healthy, Butler is one of the most impactful forwards in the NBA and would help ease the pressure on Steph Curry’s shoulders.
Of course, how Butler would mesh with Draymond Green should be a legitimate concern. Both stars aren’t known for keeping their opinions to themselves. They would either emerge as a fearsome duo that brings physicality, grit and leadership to the rotation, or they would quickly end up at each other’s throats. It’s also worth noting that Butler has recently stated he wishes to remain in Miami for the remainder of his career, and that could prove to be a stumbling block.
Still, Butler’s interior scoring would be the wrinkle the Warriors’ roster was missing last season. Kerr found some success with Jonathan Kuminga pressuring the rim, but he’s still young and developing. Butler would fit the veteran core’s timeline and walk into the team as a complete player in his role.
Whether Golden State would be willing to eat Butler’s significant salary and the luxury tax penalties associated with it will remain to be seen. But if the Warriors want to be a contending team next season, adding Butler would help them achieve that goal.