After six seasons together, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are headed for a nasty divorce. The forward requested a trade earlier this week, and after two mediocre performances, the Heat suspended Butler for seven games for conduct detrimental to the team.
There have been rumblings about Butler and the Heat parting ways sooner rather than later, due to the fact that Miami did not want to give him the max contract extension he desires. In addition to that, the relationship between Butler and team president Pat Riley has reportedly never recovered after Riley’s offseason comments about Butler.
Butler is expected to garner a lot of interest on the trade market from contending teams, but one organization stands out as the best fit for him.
The Golden State Warriors should go all-in on a trade for Jimmy Butler
After a 10-3 start, the Warriors have gone 7-13 in their last 20 games and are clinging to the last play-in spot in the Western Conference. Golden State was banking on their young core of Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody to take a step this season, but each of those three has battled inconsistency.
Curry is also in the midst of an up-and-down season, as he only shot 36 percent from three-point range in the month of December. He has picked it up over the last few games, including a 30-point and 10-assist performance against the 76ers a couple of nights ago. Curry still has a lot left in the tank and the Warriors need to take advantage.
Butler may be having a down year but has shown he can still be highly effective. He is averaging a career-high in field goal percentage at 55 percent and still finishes at the rim at a high level (70 percent rim percentage). He is doing all of this while remaining a plus defender, averaging over a steal per game and three deflections.
Butler is also one of the better playoff performers in the NBA, as he is a career 21/6/5 guy in the playoffs, and in the last two postseasons he has been healthy for, he has averaged 27 points per game. He played a huge part in getting Miami to the finals twice in the last five years.
Pairing Butler with Curry gives Golden State the firepower they desperately need. Having another established offensive threat on the court will take pressure off of Curry and allow him to get easier looks. Butler’s slashing and playmaking ability, along with his tenacious defense, will make him a good fit and put the Warriors back in near the top of the Western Conference.