The Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler two weeks ago to resuscitate their season, with the 6x All-Star having done just that in the four games prior to the All-Star break.
Just as importantly, Butler and the Warriors have committed to each other beyond this season, with the 35-year-old signing a two-year, $112 million extension that aligns him with the contracts of fellow veterans Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Jimmy Butler makes the Warriors a more attractive destination
Butler and Golden State will have their primary focus centered around the remainder of the season, with the team looking to build off the momentum as they remain just 10th in the Western Conference at a 28-27 record.
But while Butler has already brought a notable on-court impact through first four games, there's another element that the former Miami Heat star could bring that won't be felt until the offseason.
Over the last couple of years, the Warriors have lost their desirability as a franchise. Sure, simply having Stephen Curry is always going to be a major recruiting tool, but there's otherwise been little else to sell prospective players about as the team has slid from championship team in 2022, to outside the playoffs two years later.
Things could change though with Butler in the mix. Golden State no longer have one solitary superstar, but a second that should elevate them into far greater relevance. Even if they're already too far back to make significant noise this season, a strong final 27 games (+ playoffs) will be vitally important to their hopes for the summer.
All of a sudden the Warriors could push themselves back into being viewed as legitimate title contenders, and subsequently reap the benefits of that as a free agent destination. Noted NBA trainer Drew Hanlon recently outlined that on the Kevin O'Connor show in regard to the Los Angeles Lakers and their superstar duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, but the same could also be said about Golden State and the Curry-Butler pairing.
We only have to go back to last offseason to see valuable players who took significantly less to join a team with a superstar duo. Tyus Jones signed a minimum with the Phoenix Suns to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and so too did Gary Trent Jr. to join Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Perhaps with Butler the Warriors can now get into conversations with free agents they may not have otherwise had a chance with previously. Not only is that a major development in itself, but it's even more important given Golden State are almost assuredly going back deep into the tax and will likely only have minumum-level contracts to work with in free agency.