New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jimmy Butler To Golden State Warriors

Jimmy Butler wants to get paid. Unfortunately, the Miami Heat aren’t breaking down the door to do so.

Butler’s future has been quietly in doubt this offseason as he looks to secure a long-term deal to stay in Miami. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, he could sign a two-year, $112.9 million extension with the Heat. However, Heat president Pat Riley has not committed to signing Butler for the foreseeable future. He had this to say in June after the Heat were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics:

“We haven’t discussed that (a Butler extension) internally yet. “We need to look at making those kinds of commitments and when we do that. We don’t really have to do it until 2025. But we’ll see. We haven’t made a decision on it yet and we haven’t really talked about it seriously.”

He also commented on Butler’s availability, which has been a persistent question in recent seasons. Butler will soon be 35 years old and just missed the entire playoffs with a knee injury. He has also never played in more than 65 regular-season games as a member of the Heat.

“That’s a big decision for us to spend that kind of resources unless you have someone who’s there every night and available. That’s the truth.”

One team reportedly interested in Butler is the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs. They lost Klay Thompson in the offseason and added some depth in the form of DeAnthony Melton and Buddy Hield. They do have some intriguing pieces in forward Jonathan Kuminga, center Trayce Jackson-Davis and guard Brandin Podziemski, but the team seems a long way from competing in the talented Western Conference. This is despite having one of the best players in the game in Steph Curry.

On a recent episode of the podcast “The TK Show,” NBA insider Sam Amick of the Athletic spoke about Golden State’s interest in acquiring Butler.

“You’ve got to let the wheels fall off somewhere. Not in free agency, but in trades. A couple of guys that come to mind, Jimmy Butler is going to be a free agent next summer. He didn’t get an extension. The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think they probably made a couple of calls over the summer. That’s the name that comes to mind.”

If these rumors are true, the Atlanta Hawks could be a logical choice as a third team in the deal to make the salaries work. What would the deal look like?

It should be noted that this is merely a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That’s all.

Here is the trade.

Atlanta Hawks get: Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Nikola Jovic, Gui Santos, 2027 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors, top three protected), 2031 first-round pick (via Miami Heat, top five protected)

Miami Heat gets: DeAndre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2025 1st round pick (via Golden State Warriors, unprotected)

Golden State Warriors get: Jimmy Butler, Pelle Larsson

Why the Hawks would make this deal: The appeal of this deal for Atlanta lies primarily in the picks. Both the 2027 1st round and 2031 1st round could be used to fuel a rebuild or add more pieces around Trae Young. Additionally, it lessens some of the impact of the Dejounte Murray trade that saw the Hawks lose their 2027 first round pick. However, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic are both intriguing pieces. Wiggins seems like he’s on a terrible contract right now, but is it possible he could regain some of his defensive prowess in Atlanta? Playing alongside a dynamic, heliocentric guard like Trae Young isn’t an entirely foreign concept to Wiggins, and he’d be the third (or even fourth) offensive option in Atlanta. Jovic also has potential as a power forward with floor spacing and a real passing upside. His defense could improve, but he’d certainly help Atlanta’s rotation.

Why the Hawks wouldn’t make this deal: Five centers on the roster is simply too many. One or two of these big men (Zeller or Looney) would have to agree to some sort of buyout or be moved in the next deal. Furthermore, the Hawks are getting rid of the questionable DeAndre Hunter contract to add a potentially worse one in Wiggins. At best, Wiggins is a much better player than Hunter, but it’s an expensive gamble for Atlanta.

Why the Warriors would make this deal: They add Jimmy Butler to a team that already has Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Butler is also entering a contract year where he needs to prove his worth, so his motivation to stay healthy should be at an all-time high. All of these players are definitely older, but the team could field a Curry-Podziemski-Butler-Green-Jackson-Davis lineup. Their starting lineup has a lot of offense and enough defense to make up for Curry’s shortcomings as a defender. They’re also only moving two picks to do so and give themselves a legitimate shot at making a deep playoff run if their team can stay healthy.

Why the Warriors wouldn’t make this deal: Butler’s injury history aside, he may not be a good fit for Golden State. Butler is a solid three-point shooter, but has never made them on a large scale. His career high of 4.5 threes per game pales in comparison to the 1.6-2.4 attempts he’s been making the past few seasons. In the playoffs, that number will increase slightly to 3-4 attempts per game. There’s also the question of how Golden State’s system, which is projected to feature constant off-ball movement, will suit Butler at this stage of his career. The Warriors’ depth also takes a big hit with the loss of both Kuminga and Moody.

Why the Heat would make this deal: Bam Adebayo isn’t exactly a perfect candidate to be the No. 1 offensive option, but the Heat would surround him with an extremely deep roster. The team would take a step back, but they could certainly create a passable offense with Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jonathan Kuminga, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Kuminga is a player who thrives on the ball rather than off the ball – Miami would be in a position to give him those touches. I’d personally be curious to see what a defense led by Hunter, Kuminga, and Adebayo could do. Miami could certainly take a step back, but they would have a ton of two-way talent under a coach in Erik Spoelstra who has shown he can get the most out of gifted rotation players.

Why the Heat wouldn’t make this deal: Kuminga theoretically has star potential, but it’s hard to see a future where he becomes a primary offensive option. It would also hamper their long-term potential, as Hunter, Herro, and Adebayo are all under large contracts for the next three seasons. If he plays well, Kuminga will earn an extension on his own contract as well. This could be a case of Miami adding too much complementary talent without the star talent needed to win at the highest level.

Who would say no to this deal? I think the Warriors could say no because of reservations about how it would undermine their depth. There’s also a chance Miami could say no because they’re not interested in taking on the DeAndre Hunter contract.