The Golden State Warriors may not be active in the trade market for an All-Star this season in hopes of getting a superstar next summer. Players like Miami Heat six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler are out there for the Warriors to pursue. However, weighty investments in contracts like his risk the franchise’s chances of basking in greener pastures for the long haul.
Warriors can lose their shot at Giannis with a Jimmy Butler trade
The Warriors want Milwaukee Bucks two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their foresight tells them that the “Greek Freak,” who was disgruntled in Milwaukee throughout the early portion of the 2024-25 season, may want to depart from the Bucks after the campaign concludes. He’ll have three more years left under contract from the $186 million extension he signed with the Bucks in October of 2023.
That’s why the Golden State would be at a disadvantage if they take on a large contract ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The Warriors have $147.4 million on their books for next season, and $152.2 million the following year. That doesn’t account for Dennis Schroder, who will need to be re-upped after his deal expires next summer.
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk provided intel into why the Warriors may truly be abstaining from trading for Butler and potentially putting themselves in a position to win another championship next spring (h/t Basketball Forever):
“I don’t think there’s interest in Butler. But if they were to do that, you can’t take a swing then if things go bad in Milwaukee with Giannis this summer. And that is why you have to hold on to your assets to make a run at a guy like that if he becomes available,” Youngmisuk said.
Warriors: Antetokounmpo is worth holding out for
Butler is a sensational late-game closer and a perennial threat to score 20-plus points per game. His on-ball defensive skills are generational and he complements that with an infectious attitude and flare.
Nevertheless, Antetokounmpo is a once-in-a-lifetime player who could wear multiple hats for the Dubs. At 6-11, the former 2020 Defensive Player of the Year would give Warriors head coach Steve Kerr the luxury of playing position-less basketball with him and Green manning the interior when needed.
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Currently ranked No. 3 on the NBA MVP Ladder behind season averages of 31.5 points,12 rebounds, six assists, and 1.4 blocks per game, the former 2021 NBA Finals MVP would create another incomparable superteam next to two-time MVP Stephen Curry and Green in the Bay. Thus, as Green attested to, teams don’t win it all every year. Golden State holding back to give themselves a shot at a franchise-altering move for the future Hall-of-Famer may be well worth it in the long run.
