New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jimmy Butler to Golden State Warriors, Hawks Get Massive Haul

Could the Miami Heat forward find himself on the Golden State Warriors and could the Hawks benefit from the trade?

Apr 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots past Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Jimmy Butler wants to get paid. Unfortunately, the Miami Heat aren't breaking down the door to do it.

Butler's future has been quietly in question throughout this off-season as he angles for a long-term deal to stay in Miami. Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, he can sign for up to two years and $112.9 million on an extension with the Heat. However, Heat president Pat Riley did not commit to securing Butler for the foreseeable future. He had this to say in June after the Heat were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round:

“We have not discussed that [a Butler extension] internally right now. We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when do we do it. We don’t have to do it until 2025, actually. But we’ll see. We haven’t made a decision on it, and we haven’t really in earnest discussed it."

He also commented on Butler's availability, which has been a persistent question over the last few seasons. Butler will soon turn 35 years old and just missed the entirety of the playoffs with a knee injury. He has also never played in over 65 regular season games as a member of the Heat.

“That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night. That’s the truth.”

Reportedly, one team that is interested in Butler is the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off a disappointing season where they missed the playoffs. They then lost Klay Thompson in the offseason and added some more depth pieces in the form of DeAnthony Melton and Buddy Hield. They do have some intriguing pieces in forward Jonathan Kuminga, center Trayce Jackson-Davis and guard Brandin Podziemski, but the team looks far removed from competing in the talented Western Conference. This is despite having one of the game's best players in Steph Curry.

In a recent appearance on an episode of "The TK Show" podcast, NBA insider Sam Amick of the Athletic had some words about Golden State's interest in acquiring Butler.

“You need the wheels to fall off somewhere. Not free agency-wise, talking trade-wise. A couple guys who come to mind, Jimmy Butler is going to be a free agent next summer. Didn’t get an extension done. The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think probably made a couple calls during the summer. That name comes to mind.”

If these rumors are true, the Atlanta Hawks might make some sense as a third team in the deal to make the salaries work. What would the trade look like?

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Here is the trade.

Atlanta Hawks get: Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Nikola Jovic, Gui Santos, 2027 1st round pick (via Golden State Warriors, top-three protected), 2031 1st round pick (via Miami Heat, top-five protected)

Miami Heat get: DeAndre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2025 1st round pick (via Golden State Warriors, unprotected)

Golden State Warriors get: Jimmy Butler, Pelle Larsson

Why the Hawks would do this trade: The attractiveness of this deal for Atlanta is primarily in the picks. Both the 2027 1st-rounder and the 2031 1st-rounder could be used to either fuel a rebuild or add more pieces around Trae Young. Furthermore, it lessens some of the impact from the Dejounte Murray trade where the Hawks lost their 2027 first-rounder. However, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic are both intriguing pieces. Wiggins appears to be a terrible contract right now, but is it possible he regains some of his defensive prowess in Atlanta? Playing next to a dynamic, heliocentric guard like Trae Young is not an entirely foreign concept for Wiggins and he would be the third (or even fourth) offensive option in Atlanta. Jovic also has potential as a floor-spacing power forward with some real passing upside. His defense could improve, but he would definitely help Atlanta's rotation.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: Five centers on the roster is just too many. One or two of these big men (either Zeller or Looney) would have to agree to some sort of buyout or be moved in a subsequent deal. Furthermore, the Hawks are moving off the questionable DeAndre Hunter contract to add a potentially worse one in Wiggins. At his best, Wiggins is a much better player than Hunter, but it is an expensive gamble for Atlanta.

Why the Warriors would do this trade: They're adding Jimmy Butler to a team that already has Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Butler is also coming into a contract year where he has to establish his value, so his motivation to stay healthy should be at an all-time high. All of these players are definitely older, but the team could put out a lineup of Curry - Podziemski - Butler - Green - Jackson-Davis. Their starting lineup has tons of offense and enough defense to cover for Curry's shortcomings as a defender. They are also moving only two picks to do this and give themselves a legitimate chance to make a deep playoff run if their team is able to stay healthy.

Why the Warriors would not do this trade: Outside of Butler's injury history, he might not be a fit in Golden State. Butler is a fine three-point shooter but has never taken them on high volume. His career-high attempts of 4.5 threes a game pales in comparison to the 1.6-2.4 attempts range it has hovered around for the last few seasons. In the playoffs, that number slightly rises to 3-4 attempts a game. There is also the question of how Golden State's system, predicted on constant off-ball movement, fits with Butler at this stage of his career. The Warriors' depth also takes a severe hit by losing both Kuminga and Moody.

Why the Heat would do this trade: Bam Adebayo is not exactly a perfect candidate to be the No. 1 offensive option, but the Heat would be surrounding him with an extremely deep roster. The team would take a step back, but they can certainly manufacture a passable offense with Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jonathan Kuminga and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Kuminga is a player that thrives on-ball rather than off-ball - Miami would be in a position to give him those touches. I would be personally intrigued to see what a defense spearheaded by Hunter, Kuminga and Adebayo could do. Miami could certainly take a step back, but they would have tons of two-way talent under a coach in Erik Spoelstra that has shown he can maximize the most out of gifted rotaton players.

Why the Heat would not do this trade: Kuminga has theoretical star upside, but it's hard to envision a future where he becomes a primary offensive option. This would also handicap their long-term upside as Hunter, Herro and Adebayo are all under big contract extensions for the next three seasons. If he plays well, Kuminga will also warrant an extension of his own. This could be a case of Miami adding too much complementary talent without the star talente needed to win at the highest levels.

Who says no to this deal? I think the Warriors could say no over hesistations of how it would gut their depth. There is also a chance Miami says no because they are uninterested in taking on the DeAndre Hunter contract.