The Golden State Warriors pursuit of Jimmy Butler appears to be over. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the veteran forward informed the franchise he would not sign a contract extension. As such, the Warriors will likely turn their attention elsewhere.
“The Heat’s Jimmy Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there and therefore, trade talks to send him to Golden State have ended for now, sources told ESPN,’ Windhorst reported via X.
The trade market for Butler continues to shrink. His eye-watering salary, coupled with his reputation for being a disrupter, has ensured there’s a finite number of interested parties. The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks remain the most logical destinations. However, both teams face hurdles to potentially getting a deal over the line.
Butler remains on an indefinite suspension from the Miami Heat locker room. His antics since submitting an official trade request forced the team into taking action. The 35-year-old was suspended a total of three times throughout the month of January.
Over 25 games this season, Butler is averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He’s shooting 54% from the field and 36.1% from deep. His skill set could have positioned the Warriors to make a push for the postseason. It will be interesting to see how Mike Dunleavy Jr. pivots ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Warriors’ Had Concerns About Butler’s Fit
Butler’s decision to rule out the Warriors as a potential landing spot may have saved face for Golden State. According to Yahoo Sports Kevin O’Connor, who was speaking via his ‘The Kevin O’Connor Show’ podcast, both Stephen Curry and Kerr had reservations about acquiring Butler.
“My league sources say that Stephen Curry, specifically, has concerns about Jimmy Butler’s fit in the locker room,” O’Connor said via his ‘The Kevin O’Connor Show’ podcast. “And Steve Kerr shares those feelings. So, Golden State’s indecision about trading for Butler seems to be largely tied to Steph and Kerr’s worries about a personality fit…It should surprise nobody if the Warriors end up holding onto their pieces and waiting for the summer.”
Finding the right locker room fit is just as important as adding a high-level talent to the rotation. If the players can’t gel off the court, then their chances of success on the hardwood quickly diminish.
Steve Kerr Understands Warriors’ Need For Trades
The Warriors currently sit 11th in the Western Conference. However, they’re only 3.5 games behind the LA Clippers, who sit sixth, occupying the final playoff spot. With 48 games of the season behind us, the Warriors still have plenty of time to surge up the Western Conference standings. However, the current roster clearly needs reinforcements.
When speaking to the media following the Warriors’ 130-105 loss to the Suns, Kerr admitted the franchise isn’t in a position to stand pat at the trade deadline.
“We’re not in a position where we can just say, ‘Nah, we’re good, let’s stand pat,’” Kerr said. “That’s the reality of where we are.”
Golden State has a significant amount of tradeable assets. Dunleavy could pair a number of young high-upside talents with future draft picks in order to improve the roster.
Nevertheless, finding the right talent to pursue and the correct balance in trade negotiations is considerably more challenging than it sounds.
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