Heat Star Jimmy Butler Could Be Golden State Warriors Trade Target

Heat Star Jimmy Butler Could Be Golden State Warriors Trade Target

Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors how does that sound it could be a reality the Warriors reportedly would pursue Jimmy if Miami makes him available is he the right fit though I’ll explain next on locked on Warriors you are locked on Warriors your daily Golden State Warriors podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day [Music] thanks for making lockdown Warriors your first listen every day we are free and available wherever you get Podcast and on YouTube part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s $2 $ in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet visit fanduel.com lockon to get started so glad to have you here I am your host kylin Mills a play-by-play broadcaster host with NBC Sports Bay Area the Big 10 Network and many more on today’s show we will be covering the possibility of Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors what are the latest reports and is he the right fit is he the one the Warriors should be targeting also if not Jimmy who are some of the other names in the mix I’ll give you two that I think would be good if not great fits for the Warriors and then finally Steph playing where uh in a random gym in fome lighting people up with the night night I I’ll explain that whole situation coming up on today’s show let’s start off with Jimmy buckets possibly coming to the Golden State Warriors rumors really started heating up after the Miami Heat St shared an Instagram story photo in front of a flight board that showed the destination as San Jose my take right off the top no the Warriors should not pursue Jimmy Butler in a trade the dubs don’t need another player who’s old by NBA standards that is he’s 34 turns 35 in September so it would be 35 for the entirety of next season has had a history of injuries and is Seeking a Max extension would Jimmy Butler be an upgrade from Andrew Wiggins sure but the Warriors would have to also move major assets Butler is set to receive $ 48.8 million in the final year of his contract with the Heat next season there’s no reason why the Warriors would want to take that on for an aging and injury-prone star per reports he’s seeking a 2-year $113 million Max extension from Miami and that’s what he would be looking for should he start looking elsewhere and be unhappy because Miami can’t offer him that type of D so let’s rewind to the facts about this whole situation so far it has not been confirmed that the heat are shopping Jimmy around but Miami team president Pat Riley sure made the future sound uncertain at their end of season press conference about a month ago here’s the exact quote because I don’t want to twist it he said quote we have not discussed that internally right now Riley on whether or not the heat were going to strongly pursue that Max extension and signing and bringing Jimmy back he said quote we have to look at making that kind of commitment and when 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 yeah so that’s not really a ringing and endorsement from an organization that’s like yes no matter what we are going to make sure Jimmy Butler comes back which like for example would be what the Warriors say about Steph Curry whenever those conversations happening like there’s no question clearly there are questions in the air and because of that there are starting to be conversations floating around in the media about possible trade destinations for Jimmy Butler the other side of this conversation is would the Warriors be interested the Athletics Anthony Slater expects the Warriors to enter the conversation if the Miami Heat make Jimmy Butler available he has reported that and he is very plugged in a reliable source the Warriors are looking to make big moves this offseason that’s something that’s been confirmed or at least been reported across media Outlets I’ve heard that from people in and around the organization that this is a front office that is willing to make major moves and they realize that they cannot just run it back with the same core that’s the one thing that is for sure Big Time Changes need to come now it is confirmed that Jimmy Butler did make a trip to the Bay Area last week after that Instagram story blew up and started going crazy on x/ Twitter whatever you want to call it he later posted on his Instagram story that he was at Stanford I also have friends at Stanford who saw him on campus so the full reporting story now is that he flew into the South Bay Thursday afternoon went to eat at noou paloalto went to see Fred again at the frost Amphitheater on Stanford’s campus stopped at the Stanford Shopping Center did a whole little offseason jaunt in the Bay Area is there more to the story should we be looking into it that I don’t know um but it is very interesting that he made this little quick trip up to the Bay Area here’s a bottom line though Jimmy Butler is not the big signing that’s going to make this Warriors team title contenders he is not the right piece here’s why well first I want to say that basketball-wise I think Jimmy Butler would be a fine fit he’s an elite Defender you’re talking about a six-time all-nba defensive team selection technically second team defensive team but whatever he’s got explosiveness he’s a good finisher he can shoot the three ball well enough um I think he’s around 35 to 36 in terms of career shooting um he would be an upgrade on the wing to Andrew Wiggins definitely based on Andrew Wiggins play the last two seasons since the Warriors title run in 2022 but to me there are too many downsides with Jimmy Butler number one the injury issues Jimmy Butler just suffered an MCL sprain in April was ruled out during a playing game for Miami it was his right knee which he’s had issues with before he had surgery to repair torn meniscus in that same knee in early 2018 had to miss a ton of time when you look at the list knee injuries ankle injuries back injuries tailbone injuries I just started kind of scrolling through injury reports with Jimmy Butler there are an array of issues but to me ongoing knee issues are something that I Keen in on Jimmy Butler has not played more than 65 games in a single season for the last eight years the last time he played more than that was his last season with the bulls in 2016 2017 that seems like ages ago in my opinion and then the ongoing knee issues is a big concern that’s the kind of stuff that can force players to retire at some point your joints can’t handle it when you’ve had surgery on a knee there are going to be extra factors like sometimes their Scar Tissue excess inflammation lingering structural problems sometimes it’s the way you’re built it can’t handle the grind anymore recurring issues are the kind of thing for an older player that have to be a big concern older player the second part of this Jimmy Butler turns 35 in September he’ll be that old throughout next season and you’re looking at a guy who wants to be signed a couple years beyond that the words do not need to get older for the love of God can they sign someone under 30 when they tried to Hype the signing of Chris Paul I’m sorry but I was like why why are we bringing in a 38 or 39 year old to one of the oldest teams in the NBA the Warriors actually specifically had the third oldest team in the NBA this past season and the older players aren’t just like roll guys like your 10 11 12 on the bench that are on vet minimums Steph clay and Draymond your big three are all in their mid-30s they led the team in minutes per game Chris Paul also often started this past season was put in situations where he was closing out games big rooll running the point in the second unit and you’re looking at a guy who’s 39 years old those are four key pieces that are mid-30s plus cavon Looney I’m convinced the oldest 28-year-old I’ve ever seen run love him to death just in an entire episode breaking down his possible future with the Warriors which hangs in the balance with Chris Alvarez you can check that out um but can we sign a player under 30 that’s the bottom line is that so hard you don’t want to be the youngest team in the league you want to find that middle ground I don’t think it’s any coinci the Dallas Mavericks Boston Celtics Denver Nuggets they’re right in the middle of the pack in terms of average team age at about 26 years old and those are the teams that you’re looking at being title contenders this season you have to have the right mix of Youth the right mix of experience and it can’t be so topheavy where your oldest players are the ones that are expected to play the most minutes you cannot be looking at Steph and expecting him to be playing 38 39 40 minutes a night which is what the Warriors had to have him do because because they weren’t winning games and Steve C was put in the tough situation where he couldn’t afford to give stephanite off because this team was barely over 500 and couldn’t get even into playoff position so then you’re forced to run Steph out there for longer stretches of time Draymond for longer stretches of time clay has dealt with inconsistencies but still has been contributing major minutes at some point you’ve got to be looking to find younger pieces that you can put into those big minutes big burden situations so that you can give Steph some rest give the older players some rest and allow them to preserve their bodies for the big moments and the big plays and the bigger games that you really need them to perform topnotch because at some point the EXs minutes takes a toll on the body for these older players and now you want to add in a jibby Butler to the mix I I just I don’t like looking at a team where your four best players are 30 mid-30s plus like 34 35 36 Etc um and that’s putting clay still in that conversation because we still don’t know what the outcome of his offseason is gonna be so he very well may not be back there so even if it’s Jimmy Butler Draymond Steph I just I still would like to see them at a star who’s in that 25 to 30 range someone that is younger that can handle the bigger workload and you don’t have to worry about the injury issue because with older players you have to manage minutes you have to keep an eye on that and especially with an injury-prone player who’s had a history of knee problems so that’s why to me Jimmy Butler is not the piece that the Warriors should be going after is he a good player I like him as a player great defender uh talks a little bit I personally enjoy it I’m from Chicago I followed him when he was drafted with the bulls it’s been fun to watch him go from coming into the league immediately establishing himself as a great defender to establishing himself as a scorer I think he’d be an upgrade to Andrew Wiggins but there’s just too much of a downside to where I think there are better pieces the Warriors can pursue and then you also look at what they’d have to do to get Jimmy Butler because the amount of money that he wants they would have to move young pieces to get a 34 35 year old star who’s probably on his last big contract so that to me is the big issue and why the Warriors should not be looking at Jimmy Butler as a prime target the NBA finals are underway the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Boston Celtics the series has not been kind to the m so far they’re down 0 and2 heading into game three Wednesday night Luca donic the far andway leading score prop player at minus 160 next closest is Jason Tatum at plus 330 there is a reason why donic is so high laid the extra juice and you should feel confident about that bet donic knows he’s going to have to come out and really put a stamp on this game because his Mavs desperately need a win they cannot go down 03 in the series that goes without saying if you want to bet on that the place to go is FanDuel Sportsbook not just the NBA Finals either you can bet on baseball you can do it all right now new customers get $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 200 bucks you can use to bet on everything from the finals MVP to who’s going to hit one out of the park visit fanduel.com lockon and add a big win to your summer bucket list FanDuel America’s number one sports [Music] book all right back to the topic at hand want to wrap things up and talking about the possibility of Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors I’m against the move because of the age um because of the price tag the other piece of this is the fact that he wants a Max extension the Warriors are already dealing with a salary cap problem they would have to move major pieces to make way for him I don’t think you give up young players Jonathan kaminga is going to be a player that a lot of teams are interested in when trade discussions do start to happen you don’t want to move with Jonathan kaminga I don’t want to move with Brandon psky I don’t want to move oses Moody to bring in a 35-year-old star who’s dealt with injury problems that’s the bottom line now is Butler to the Warriors even a possibility okay so some rumors were flying around and some people have asked me about this about Jimmy Butler to La the reason this all happened is because he made a cryptic comment a post during a Los Angeles Sparks game he said for some reason 22 looks good and purple and gold Butler was referring to Sparks rookie who also happens to be Steph Curry’s godsister Cameron Brink who also wears 22 still basically the internet went crazy when he posted that like oh he is alluding to the fact that he might be interested in Lakers he did shut that down right away a video posted on the Sparks Instagram page he said first and foremost y’all see the shirt Jersey I’m wearing right now 22 purple and gold says Brink not Butler unfortunately sorry La fans but hey shout out to you Cam thank you for all the love and support so there you have it he immediately shut down rumors about going to the Lakers uh he has said no such thing about the Warriors despite the fact that as I mentioned the internet started going nuts about the possibility of Jimmy to the Warriors after he posted about his little Jaun to Palo Alto so could there be mutual interest there reports are out that if the conversation opens or the heat open up conversations that the Warriors want to be a part of it or at least consider it the fact that Jimmy hasn’t shut it down maybe you can read into it I don’t know he’s not my pick though I think that they can find younger stars who would be better fit and help the longevity of this Warriors team will also fitting the window of trying to win now with staff number one Pelicans Brandon Ingram that’s a name that’s been thrown around a lot 26 years old so you look at at younger averaged right around 21 points per game more than five rebounds 5.7 assists on nearly 49 and a half% shooting from the floor and then right around 35 and a half percent shooting from three-point land okay some ups and some Downs for this um he’s not going to be a prolific shooter like a Klay Thompson as I just mentioned his three-point shooting numbers who’s going to be that major floor spacer that you’re looking for alongside step because that’s something that I look for is someone who can really hit the long range and that’s going to you know favor the Warriors game as a whole because they want to space the floor but he is a player who could definitely Elevate this Warriors team because he can still score the basketball in a variety of ways three-level score his ball handling could help Steph Curry play more off ball and ensure that there are some other options in the half court sets he can score the ball in a couple of different ways which does force defenses to stay honest even if he’s not like a prolific three-point shooter you have to guard him you have to be aware of where he’s at he is still going to draw attention I also like the idea of H having that ball handling to allow Curry to play off ball and to help open up space for him that way um now the situation with Ingram is that okay actually I want to mention a report really quick is that a western conference executive told heavy on Sports anonymously that the Warriors could be among the teams interested in acquiring Ingram so that’s an important piece and here’s part of the quote for what they’re looking for Ingram is the kind of guy they will be in the market for because he is a player who can score but is a little bit damaged goods and maybe the price is lower than it ought to be but you know you keep him healthy you’re careful with him and he can carry you through he is still young and that is absolutely what they want end quote according to an executive speaking with heavy on Sports based on that the worries reported would be interested or looking into bringing an Ingram um the point about damaged goods he certainly doesn’t have a perfect track record with health um I do think the skill set is complimentary and then when you look at the numbers there’s one year left on his current $158 million deal Ingram would likely have to give the Warriors some assurances that he would sign beyond that if they traded for him because like a one-year rental player doesn’t necessarily do the Warriors any favors um but still I think he brings a lot to the table he can facilitate you’re talking about a three-level scoring Wing he has the ability to rebound and the Warriors can get him at a decent price which also is a big factor when they have to continue to track the salary cap and try to figure out how they’re going to bring in a big piece who can be a secondary score alongside Steph without just blowing up in luxury tax and keeping all the pieces together um the health issues that I alluded to Ingram after playing 79 games his rookie season of 2016 16 2017 hasn’t reached the 70 game Mark since so that’s not a great sign also defensively you’re not going to get the elite Defender that you would with a Jimmy Butler he never just really reached the prime to me of what he should be defensively Ingram has physical tools um and he also just played terrible uh in the series in New Orleans as they got swept so that also doesn’t bode well I think that was a tough matchup for him but you know maybe that downside there again brings down his price would he be a decent fit for the Warriors if you don’t have to move a Jonathan kaminga I say yes so that’s where I say the warrior should at least explore the conversation um I think that there’s a fine line and what you’re willing to give away for Brandon Ingram I would be totally open to it if they keep Jonathan kaminga and bring in Ingram and move Andrew Wiggins draft Capital the worriors don’t have a lot of draft Capital but like Wiggins another young player um if kaminga is out of the conversation I think the Warriors should be open to it and it’s something that they should consider one other concern for me about uh Brandon Ingram is that he reminds me a little bit of Andrew Wiggins and that inconsistencies he seems to have on nights off nights some nights he seems like maybe not 100% there little bit of a wild card so that to me is another legitimate concern about the possibility of the Warriors pursuing Brandon in but I don’t think he’s a bad option um so I think that’s something that should definitely be considered now are you watching Fox Sports or ESPN in your TV all day have to turn down the volume with all that shouting make the switch to locked on sports today a free 247 sports streaming Channel programmed for you every day to bring you the biggest stories without all the screaming locked on sports today brings you C Miss analysis opinions and news streaming 247 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app part of the locked on podcast Network your team every [Music] day let me tell you about something 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in America right now it is a great time to talk to someone there should be no Stigma to pursuing help and then you can make it so convenient with better help get it off your chest with better help visit betterhelp.com lockon MBA today to get $10 off your first month that’s betterhelp hp.com Lockton NBA make sure sure you do that [Music] today so Brandon Ingram a viable option for sure here’s another option that’s maybe not as viable and a little bit or a lot of bit of a long shot and that’s Utah Jazz 7-footer Lori marinin he just turned 27 literally two weeks ago so there we go a star who’s under 30 that’s all I’m asking he’s likely to get a big payday because he’s coming off an incredible season his first Allstar campaign and here’s his skill set he’s a true stretch big who can shoot the ball and he’s athletic enough to not be a liability he would be a great fit with the Golden State Warriors average 23.2 points per game 8.2 boards two assists on 48% field goal shooting and nearly 40% shooting from three you love to see it the problem is with Lorie marinin is that I don’t think the Jazz are going to let him go the smart thing is not to let him go but just in terms of the skill set he would be an unbelievable fit next to Draymond Green that’s what this team needs a stretch for to continue what the Warriors already have and outside Shooters and and help space the floor and just open up the entire offense would be insane and he also has a center size and that doesn’t help or doesn’t hurt either you’ve got the raw size of a center a shooting guard skill set he’s got just such a smooth smooth and quick release it’s fun to watch him shoot from the outside and he’s hard to guard with that length and size too he he can create his own shot and then he like Towers over defenders because marinin is you know seven foot at the four that’s a pretty tough mismatch because you’re looking at someone who has the size of a center but the skill to step out from outside fairly mobile fairly Nimble not all players who are down in the post can necessarily step out and guard out on the perimeter and he just has a huge advantage because of that unique skill set not the quickest not the most athletic not an incredible ball handler you see now more teams picking up at the small forward position not going to be that big shot blocker physical inside presence rim protector but that’s okay the Warriors also have a physical presence in Draymond Green who is a small Center that’s for sure but still could be a very viable option if you pair him up with a stretch four like a Lori marinin who has this incredible skill set now back to the problem with Lori marinin all reports that I’ve been reading everything I’ve been hearing they want to keep him the Jazz want him to be a part of the future they feel confident they are going to reach a deal on an extension that makes Markin and happy while still giving them at least some level of flexibility moving forward he is signed for one more year at $18 million but he is in for a Payday the elite skill set the elite season he’s coming off of he would be a wonderful full to the Warriers I do think that picking him up is going to be the problem because the Utah Jazz would be dumb to let him go I know that front office is going to make every effort to keep him around to pay him whatever it is that he wants to be paid so there you have it we are going to break down a lot more free agent targets trade targets for the Warriors in the coming weeks I’ll have some different guests on we will Deep dive and profile some different options for the Warriors and more are going to pop up is the rumor mill is only going to get crazier heading into actual free agent which technically opens on June 26th now you know conversations are going around going on around behind the scenes that doesn’t necessarily indicate the the start it’s the official start though and there’s going to be more coming out in the weeks leading up to that okay the final thing I want to touch on is imagine you go to the gym Lifetime Fitness maybe you want to play a game of pickup basketball and in walks NBA superstar one of the greatest Shooters of all time Steph Curry says hey can I play with you you can’t say no and suddenly Steph Curry is just draining threes right over your head and hitting the night night on you yeah well that’s exactly what happened for some gym goers in folsome California which is in the Sacramento area this past weekend just chilling at the gym trying to play a game of pickup and the four-time NBA champion two-time NBA MVP a million time NBA All-Star Steph Curry just walks in and decides to get in on a light workout while hanging around there’s some videos of it that are out there on social media you can look it up again sinking threes showing off the handles doing what Steph Curry does um and the reason why he was there reportedly is that one of his daughters was playing in a volleyball tournament at Roseville throughout the weekend I assume it would be Riley the oldest but not entirely sure he was in the area because his daughter was playing volleyball supporting her at a tournament decided to go get in a quick workout ended up just dropping in on some gym goers I mean how incredible would that be um and Steph Curry has tons of fans in the Sacramento area I’m being a little bit factious here uh Steph Curry has put the Sacramento Kings to bed a couple times throughout his NBA career actually here I have his stats against the Sacramento Kings specifically Curry’s averaged 24.7 points 5.2 boards nearly seven assists and 46 career regular season games against the Kings shooting more than 48% from the field and a cool 43.3% from three-point range um so I’m sure folks around Sacramento were thrilled to see him but honestly Curry is one of the most likable stars in the NBA he is a legend so I think regardless of what team you root for if Steph Curry walks into your gym and asks to join in on a game of pickup you say yes no matter what no matter how bad he is going to embarrass you so good for those gym goers for being up to the challenge kudos to them for a really really cool experience um and I love the butting I’m saying budding but the budding rivalry between the Warriors and the Kings the kings are finally relevant enough to where there is a back and forth after being so bad for so long it’s been fun to watch they still aren’t quite over the hump to where they’re really able to make deep runs in the playoffs but they are knocking on the door and I’ve really enjoyed some of these battles between the Warriors and Kings the last couple seasons and hopefully more to come hopefully Steph Curry stops embarrassing people in pickup games though because you know he’s got to rest up he’s got a big season ahead and possibly an Olympics to play in we’ll keep you posted on all that lockon has launched the first ever National Sports 247 streaming Channel on YouTube and now it’s also available on Amazon Fire TV in the free Fire TV channels app locked on sports today is here for you 247 covering the top sports stories of the day with the local Experts of locked on plus our national shows covering every League find lockon sports today now available on the free Fire TV channels app all right thanks for hanging want to mention this week got a couple great guests coming up NBC Sports Bay Area Zena kada one of my good friends coming on the show Erin Wilson of Kon who covers the Warriors going to be coming on talking about a number of different topics is the window still open do the Warriors still have a chance to make a title run with Steph Curry what do they think about the fit of possible Jimmy Butler and other pieces we’re going to break down that and a ton more topics coming up throughout the week so be sure to continue to check in here on lockd on Warriors have a great rest of your day night whenever or wherever you’re listening we appreciate you hanging here on lock down 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