Jimmy Butler might have fallen into the lap of the Golden State Warriors in February, but sometimes it's simply better to be lucky than good when it comes to trade acquisitions in the NBA.
Butler was monumental in the Warriors late-season turnaround that saw them reach the second-round of the playoffs, yet it also required a number of sliding doors moments to even reach that point.
Golden State had been star hunting for over 12 months by the time Butler was acquired, having been repeatedly turned down by either opposing players or teams in trade negotiations. It turns out that worked to the Warriors benefit, with ESPN's recent player rankings detailing the value in the Butler trade and the fortune in their near misses.
Golden State's acquisition of Jimmy Butler now looks even better
Butler enters this season ranked as the league's 18th best player according to ESPN, having jumped up 10 spots from the same time 12 months ago despite the 36-year-old's advancing age.
Giving up the 89th ranked player (Andrew Wiggins), some salary in the form of Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters, along with the 19th overall pick, for a top 20 player is a huge return and shows just how much the Warriors took advantage of Butler's deteriorating situation in Miami.
While that looks great, it could have easily been different. The Warriors spent a period leading up to free agency last year chasing Paul George, only for the L.A. Clippers to reject trade proposals despite the All-Star forward's willingness to head to the Bay Area. They preferred to lose George for nothing in free agency, something that raised eyebrows at the time but has since been proven the correct move.
After appearing in just 41 games and producing what was one of the worst seasons of his otherwise decorated career, George has fallen from 21st to 54th in ESPN's rankings. That's not ideal for someone who still has three years and over $160 million remaining on his contract.
Having missed out on George, the Warriors then turned their attention to Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen throughout July and early August. The 2023 All-Star ultimately made known his desire to stay in Utah, renegotiating and extending his contract with the franchise which left Golden State out in the cold again.
Yet after a year where the Jazz continued their rebuild and with Markkanen's production declining, the 28-year-old has also dropped from 33rd in ESPN's rankings to 43. It might have even been lower if not for Markkanen's excellent recent from at EuroBasket for his native Finland.
The Warriors not only now have a better player on their books according to these rankings, but also gave up less than what they would have in a trade for either George or Markkanen. Regardless of how much this can be put down to sheer luck, it's certainly worked out in Golden State's favor.