Jimmy Butler’s name has “popped up” in conversations that the Golden State Warriors have had in the midst of his uncertain future with the Miami Heat, according to NBA reporter Nick Friedell.
“I think it’s a fit on paper, but I’m not sure how he fits into that locker room as the alpha personality that he is and I don’t know if after all the wear and tear on his knees the Warriors would want to give him that extension,” Friedell said on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on May 2 that Butler is expected to seek a two-year extension worth around $113 million from the Heat during the offseason.
There have been several links between the six-time All-Star and Golden State, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported on May 30 that “if the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, I would expect the Warriors to enter the conversation to at least some degree.”
After winning a championship during their 2021-22 season, the Warriors suffered a second-round playoff exit in 2023. They didn’t even get that far in 2024, falling to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament.
As Golden State attempts to pursue another title led by Stephen Curry, Butler could be an ideal second option next to the 36-year-old point guard after the production of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green has declined in recent years. However, the Warriors would need to be willing to extend the current Heat wing if they were to acquire him.
Butler is under contract through 2025, then has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season (via Spotrac). There are some concerns regarding his age and durability, as he’ll be 35 years old at the start of the regular season and has appeared in fewer than 65 games in each year since his 2018-19 campaign.
Still, he’s remained an effective option on both ends of the court and is coming off a season in which he canned a career-high 41.4 percent of his threes. If Butler isn’t able to find common ground with Miami during extension talks, the Warriors may be looming.