The Golden State Warriors may have whiffed on their top two trade targets this summer, nine-time All-Star forward Paul George and one-time All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, this summer, but that hardly means the club is done big-game hunting.
After going 46-36 in 2023-24 and missing the playoffs, the Warriors no doubt realized that they needed to make some personnel changes this summer to maximize still-potent 10-time All-Star Stephen Curry. The 36-year-old All-NBA point guard, fresh off playing hero for Team USA at the Paris Olympics this summer, remains one of the most lethal shooters in the game. The 6-foot-2 vet averaged 26.4 points on .450/.408/.923 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a night.
Curry’s longtime backcourt mate Klay Thompson left the only team for the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster sign-and-trade, and Golden State replaced him with a triumvirate of Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson.
George ultimately signed a four-year, $211.6 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, departing the L.A. Clippers after five title-less seasons.
Read more: Paul George To Sign With 76ers On Blockbuster Free Agent Deal
The 6-foot-8 swingman, even at the relatively advanced age of 34, remains a potent two-way force in the NBA. Though George has battled injury issues of late, he submitted one of his healthiest seasons in years with the Clippers in 2023-24.
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The Fresno State standout appeared in 74 regular season games, averaging 22.6 points on .471/.413/.907 shooting splits, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 dishes a night. He was dogged by inconsistency in the playoffs, and that coupled with health issues for Kawhi Leonard doomed the 51-31 Clippers to a first-round exit.
Markkanen, meanwhile, inked a four-year, $195.9 million contract extension to stay with Utah through the 2028-29 season.
Read more: Lauri Markkanen Reveals Why He Signed Massive Extension With Jazz
During a fresh conversation on 95.7 The Game’s “The TK Show,” hosted by Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, his colleague Sam Amick suggested that Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler, who has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and could thus become a free agent, was likely seen as a potential trade target by Golden State this summer.
“You need the wheels to fall off somewhere. Not free agency-wise, [we’re] talking trade-wise. Jimmy Butler’s going to be a free agent next summer, didn’t get an extension done,” Amick said. “The Warriors, as you know, have an interest there and I think probably made a couple calls during the summer. That name comes to mind.”
Butler, who turned 35 on Saturday, is a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA honoree. A passionate figure who has at times butted heads with coaches and teammates, the 6-foot-7 swingman is also still an elite two-way superstar, who unlike George shines brightest on the postseason stage.
Along with fellow All-Star Bam Adebayo, Butler helped bring Miami back to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, while also pushing the club to a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics during the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
Last year, the 46-36 Heat were waylaid by injuries to Butler and starting point guard Terry Rozier, who missed all of the Heat’s playoff games against Boston in the first round. Across his 60 healthy regular season bouts, Butler averaged 20.8 points while slashing .499/.414/.858, 5.3 boards, 5.0 dimes, and 1.3 steals a night.
Read More: Surprise East Team Could Be in Contention for Heat Star Jimmy Butler
