Now that Jimmy Butler has officially, and once again rather dramatically, demanded a trade from the Miami Heat, who have in turn suspended Butler for seven games for “several instances of conduct detrimental to the team” as they pursue a deal, the Warriors would appear to have a golden opportunity to swoop in and grab the second star they need.
But according to The Athletic, Golden State is not interested in Butler, who would simply cost too much — both in terms of the max money he’s going to want as a 35-year-old free agent this summer and the high package price of trading for him in the first place.
From The Athletic:
… The math to complete a deal for Butler — or anyone making anywhere near his salary figure — is tricky. To acquire him, either Andrew Wiggins, at $26.2 million, or Draymond Green, at $24.1 million, would have to be part of the deal to match salaries, along with a handful of other role players.
Of those two, the expectation is it’d be Wiggins, which is part of the hesitation inside the Warriors’ walls. Wiggins has regained his form as the team’s most reliable nightly perimeter defender while hitting 40 percent of his 3s. He’s well-liked by teammates and coaches and, in a win-now environment, the Warriors maintain more interest in trades that allow them to keep Wiggins in the fold next to Curry and Green.
… While acknowledging Butler’s ability, sources inside the locker room (and the Warriors’ coaching staff and front office) would rather keep their two best wings than acquire Butler.
On top of Wiggins, who would mostly just be the money-matching part of a deal, the Heat would almost certainly require Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors’ best current hope for a future foundational player, plus potential future draft picks. What would the Warriors’ net gain, through a playoff prism, be by adding a proven two-way postseason star at the expense of their two best wings?
Reasonable minds can disagree on the answer to that question, but ultimately, it appears the Warriors, having already added Dennis Schroder, are inclined to go after a trade that won’t break their bank that, theoretically, enhances their chances of a playoff push.
According to the Athletic, that player could be Chicago center Nikola Vucevic, who is having an outstanding season, particularly as a 3-point shooter who could stretch the floor for Curry and a Warriors offense that is pretty cramped for space across its most viable lineups.
Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson is also mentioned as a potential Warriors target, but he would cost a lot more. Again, according to The Athletic, teams like the Thunder and Kings could be in “hotter pursuit.” The Warriors aren’t interested in a bidding war. They’re looking for a clearance-rack purchase that may turn out to be a full-on steal.
Through that lens, Vucevic makes sense. He likely wouldn’t vault the Warriors into legit contender status, but he would relieve a decent amount of offensive pressure from Curry and at least give the Warriors the look of a team that isn’t completely giving up on this era.
Warriors fans won’t love it. They’ll see it as a move of appeasement rather than substance, but perhaps that’s the smart play. This team is probably a lot farther from contention than fans want to admit, and an overzealous move for Butler could just further cripple the future the Warriors are trying to protect beyond Curry’s reign. Which, like it or not, will be coming to an end sooner than later.
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