The Golden State Warriors have reportedly shut down the rumors of them wanting to trade for Miami Heat’s disgruntled star Jimmy Butler. On Thursday, The Athletic’s Sam Amick appeared on “Run It Back” and confirmed that Golden State isn’t interested in a trade with the Florida team.
The Warriors were linked to be one of the teams that could land and give Butler a new deal in the summer. According to Amick, Steph Curry and the rest of the crew are content with the wing players they have on the roster.
“They don’t have interest in giving him the deal that he’s waiting for on the other end,” Amick said, “I don’t think they’re looking to make him a rental and have it be a strained relationship with him coming to town.
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Amick said that Golden State is pleased with how forwards Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga have played in the 2024-25 NBA season.
“Their reasoning for not going after Jimmy, even after beyond the money, is that to this point, they’ve been pretty happy with Andrew Wiggins’ play and the idea of also giving up a Jonathan Kuminga in that deal – even though he’s hurt right now – is something they weren’t looking to do.”
Wiggins has played better compared to last season, averaging 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting close to 40% from downtown. The one-time All-Star is also under a four-year, $109 million contract, with a player option on the final year, that won’t expire until the 2026-27 season.
Kuminga, on the other hand, has provided what the organization has demanded from him over the years. He’s averaging 16.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.2 apg in 32 games. Unlike Wiggins, the young forward is on an expiring four-year, $24,855,347 million deal.
Warriors reportedly targeting a star big man over Butler
Golden State looks to improve its frontcourt but doesn’t want to trade for the aging Jimmy Butler. One name that NBA insider Marc Spears mentioned is Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic.
“I’m hearing that the Warriors literally want to go bigger than Butler,” Spears said. “What I mean by that is, they’re one of the most undersized teams in the league. So, they’re trying to get a big guy to go alongside Draymond Green. People on their list include Nikola Vučević, who has probably been, maybe, the top guy on that list.”
Golden State, an undersized squad, seeks to improve its size, particularly in the frontcourt. Veteran star Draymond Green has opened up about being tired of playing the center position, as he’s already small to play power forward.
The Bulls center can spread the floor with his outside shooting, so the team won’t lose many offensive games. He is averaging 20.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 3.3 apg this season while shooting 42.4% from beyond the arc.
Also read: Steph Curry makes feelings known on Warriors’ ‘two-timelines’ strategy amid push for 5th NBA title
Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein
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