Warriors Expected To Show Interest In Jimmy Butler If Heat Shop Him

NBA insider Anthony Slater of The Athletic expects the Golden State Warriors to show interest in Jimmy Butler if the Miami Heat shop the star. 

Slater, who covers the Warriors for The Athletic, doesn’t expect Golden State to show interest in New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. 

“We discussed some of the Warriors’ options on our offseason preview podcast,” Slater wrote. “Two quick situations of note: If Brandon Ingram hits the trade market, I would not expect the Warriors to show interest. If the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, I would expect the Warriors to enter the conversation to at least some degree.”

The Warriors missed the playoffs this year. They lost the 9-10 play-in tournament game on the road to the Sacramento Kings. 

Butler is extension-eligible this offseason. He’ll make $48.8 million next season. The swingman wants a maximum extension from the Heat. 

Butler, who turns 35 in September, has a player option worth $52.4 million for the 2025-26 season. 

The Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of this year’s postseason in five games. Butler didn’t play because of a knee injury. 

A six-time All-Star, Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.3 blocks in 60 games this season while shooting 49.9% from the field, 41.4% from beyond the arc and 85.8% from the free-throw line.

Butler has career averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia Sixers and Heat. He’s made five All-NBA teams and five All-Defensive teams.

The Warriors have won four championships in the Stephen Curry–Klay Thompson–Draymond Green era. Thompson becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

According to Slater, there remains a “realistic chance” the Warriors don’t re-sign Thompson. 

“The calendar flips to June this weekend. It’s the final month of Klay Thompson’s current contract with the Golden State Warriors, and there remains a realistic chance these are the fading days of his 13-year run with the organization,” Slater wrote. “As the decision on his future nears, there’s been no notable movement from either side toward a resolution, league sources said.”