The Golden State Warriors have spent this summer searching for a new All-Star-level teammate to pair with Stephen Curry. The veteran sharpshooter lost his longtime "splash brother" when Klay Thompson opted to leave the franchise and team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the Dallas Mavericks.
Unfortunately for the Warriors front office, they've struck out on both of their All-Star targets during the offseason. First, the L.A. Clippers decided against a sign-and-trade deal with Paul George, losing him to the Philadelphia 76ers instead. Then, the Warriors failed to pry Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz, with the multi-talented forward signing a contract extension to stay in Salt Lake City.
Now, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, who was speaking on a recent episode of "The TK Show," the Warriors have turned their attention to Jimmy Butler. The Miami Heat star has two years left on his current $146 million contract. However, the final year is a player option, allowing him to hit the free-agent market next summer.
"Jimmy Butler's going to be a free agent next summer," Amick said. "Didn't get an extension done. The Warriors have interest there and probably made a couple calls [to Miami] this summer."
Butler would fit the Warriors' current search parameters. He's an All-Star-level player who is hungry for success, plays a winning brand of basketball and fits Curry's timeline. Butler's success when shooting from the perimeter last season — hitting 41.4 percent on 2.4 attempts per game —will be an encouraging development for a franchise that likes to run a pace-and-space motion-based offense under Steve Kerr.
Whether Butler would be willing to head to the West Coast and become a secondary option next to Curry remains to be seen. Throughout his tenure in Miami, Butler has been a clear-cut primary offensive option. Nevertheless, the move could help take some pressure off his aging body and allow him to have a longer tenure in the league.
With the risk of losing Butler for nothing at the end of the season, Miami could be willing to entertain trade discussions. Golden State has a string of young talent and future draft picks. A deal could be exactly what the Heat need to retool their roster. However, the Warriors would need a guarantee from Butler that he would opt-in to his final year and potentially work with the franchise on an extension.
A lot needs to go right for Butler to find himself heading to the Bay Area, either during the season or at the start of next year's free-agency period. Nevertheless, if both sides are interested in making it work, Curry could have a new All-Star running mate capable of propelling the team back into championship contention.
