Warriors May Have Protected Rising Star In Nets Trade To Acquire Jimmy Butler

Anthony Pasciolla | 3 Hours Ago

Dec 8, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) smiles at the bench against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors parted with injured guard De'Anthony Melton and a handful of second-round picks on Saturday to acquire Brooklyn Nets' Dennis Schroder.

Schroder is an effective backcourt player but was not the lone Nets player Golden State seemingly had interest in. Although forward Cam Johnson was also reportedly on their radar, he was not included in the trade due to the Warriors' needing to part with Jonathan Kuminga to land him.

“To acquire both Schröder and Cam Johnson from the Nets, as league sources say was also weighed by the Warriors, almost certainly would have required them to surrender Jonathan Kuminga," Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported.

The Warriors' unwillingness to cut ties with Kuminga likely means there's a star the front office has their eyes on. The most rumored star on the market is Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler. Not only this, but the Warriors are also one of the four reported teams that he prefers to land with, alongside the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns.

Kuminga is one of the most valuable assets on the Warriors' roster, and Golden State is aware of this. After playing in the second unit for an extended period of time, the 22-year-old rejoined the starting lineup on Nov. 27.

The hope is seemingly to inflate Kuminga's numbers enough to allow him to be the center of a package for Butler.

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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.