The Golden State Warriors are expected to be one of the most active teams on the market in the 2021 offseason. Though they still have their championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the Warriors are planning to add a fourth superstar that would help them reclaim their throne and revive their dynasty in the 2021-22 NBA season.
The Warriors may be currently buried deep in the luxury tax hell, but they have a plethora of trade assets that they could use to engage in a blockbuster deal this summer.
Potential 2021 Offseason Trade Target – Jimmy Butler
One of the most intriguing trade targets for the Warriors in the 2021 offseason is All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat. In a recent article, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report came up with a hypothetical blockbuster trade idea that would allow the Warriors to form a "Big 4" with Butler, Curry, Thompson, and Green this summer.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Warriors would be sending a package that includes Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Eric Paschall, the No. 7 pick, the No. 14 pick, and a 2026 first-round pick to the Timberwolves in exchange for Butler and Andre Iguodala.
Warriors Form Another Superteam
The cost of bringing Butler would definitely be expensive, but it would be worth it, especially if the Warriors are serious about maximizing the championship window of their superstar trio. The potential arrival of Butler would enable the Warriors to form another superteam in Bay Area two years after Kevin Durant left them for the Brooklyn Nets.
Butler may not be as good as Durant but compared to Wiggins, he’s more capable of filling the huge hole that he left in their wing.
Jimmy Butler On-Court Impact On Warriors
Butler would still need time to familiarize himself with Coach Steve Kerr’s system but once he meshes well with Curry, Thompson, and Green, the Warriors would once again become the team to fear in the Western Conference. Butler would significantly improve the Warriors’ performance on both ends of the floor, giving them a very reliable scoring option, on-court facilitator, rebounder, and lockdown defender.
This season, Butler averaged 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 49.7 percent from the field, per ESPN. Sharing the floor with elite three-pointers like Curry and Thompson would be beneficial for Butler as they would make it easier for him to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when he’s trapped by the opposing team’s defense.
Why The Heat Would Make The Trade
The proposed blockbuster trade would only make sense for the Heat if Butler is no longer interested in staying in Miami and the Heat decide to undergo a full-scale rebuild. By sending Butler to Bay Area, the Heat would be getting the assets that they need to rebuild their team.
Wiggins, Wiseman, and Paschall could join their young core of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Precious Achiuwa, and AZ Okpala, while the first-round picks in 2021 and 2026 would allow them to add more talented prospects to their roster.
