Reported uneasiness at the Miami Heat could open up an opportunity for the Golden State Warriors in their search for an additional star this offseason.
Heat President Pat Riley was openly critical of Jimmy Butler's trash talking from the bench during the first-round of the playoffs, with conjecture now surrounding the 6x All-Star's future given he's also extension eligible.
Miami Heat star and two-way forward Jimmy Butler has been proposed as an offseason trade target for the Golden State Warriors
Speaking on the most recent episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast, The Athletic's Anthony Slater proposed Butler as a potential target given his fit to the timeline of Golden State's veteran core.
"You talk about, I think at this stage of his career would kind of be a culture fit with the way the Warriors are trying to still chase down this era...It's risky, it would be risky."Anthony Slater
Much of that risk stems from the combination of Butler's age, contract and injury history. The 34-year-old will make $48.8 million next season and has a $52.4 million player option for 2024-25, having not played 65 games or more in a regular season since 2016-17. Butler missed the entirety of Miami's five-game first-round series defeat to the Boston Celtics after suffering an MCL sprain during the Play-In Tournament.
However, Butler would fill the void of a second star next to Stephen Curry, having led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in the past five years. The 6'7" forward would also bring a hard-edged defensive element, with Slater's colleague Tim Kawakami labelling Butler a "Warriors kind of player."
The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly interested in a reunion with Butler should he work his way out of Miami. The 13-year veteran played 55 games for the franchise before joining the Heat, with the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey reporting that they view Butler as a fallback option to free agent target Paul George.
Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists this season, while shooting 49.9% from the floor and a career-high 41.4% from three-point range. It would take a significant package to pry Butler out of Miami, a price the Warriors may not be willing to meet given the risks previously outlined.