NBA Rumors: The Golden State Warriors could be open to pursuing Jimmy Butler when he hits the open free agency market next summer.
The Golden State Warriors may have operated oddly this offseason with their decision to let Klay Thompson walk in free agency and then signing Steph Curry to a one-year extension, making him on the books through the 2026-27 NBA season. Those two offseason moves are quite contradictory. One suggests they were possibly moving closer toward a potential rebuild while the other still proves they want to build a contender around Curry.
At least for now, the Warriors don't want to rebuild. They pursued Lauri Markkanen this offseason but even though they faltered on that front, this is a team that is more likely to pursue another superstar in the near future rather than pivot toward a rebuilding of the roster. While it's difficult to identify which star target may be realistic and one that would make sense for the Warriors, that's the task the front office has been dealt with.
The Warriors' roster is not built in a way that will have them competing in the Western Conference this season. For as talented as their roster is, they lack the top-tier talent around Curry to compete for a championship. That'll need to change if the Warriors want to put Curry in the best position to win another championship before the end of his career.
1 Superstar who could be on the Golden State Warriors' radar
Interestingly enough, there continue to be whispers surrounding one superstar who could already be on the Warriors radar. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Warriors are going to have interest in Jimmy Butler if he finds his way to free agency next summer. Short of an extension getting agreed upon soon between Jimmy and Miami, the overwhelming belief is that he's going to hit free agency next summer.
If that is something that ends up happening, the Warriors may arise as one team who may have enough to pry Jimmy away from Miami. If Jimmy has it his way, I'm sure he'd love to say in Miami. However, the Warriors could offer Jimmy something Miami can't - a strong opportunity to compete for a title.
For as good as a front office that Miami has, they've continued to mishandle the moves surrounding Jimmy. Their roster around him is a mess and they've done a poor job in building around him during his time with the team. If he's looking for a slight change, the Warriors could be waiting in the wings.
Curry is a perfect co-star for Jimmy and could have a strong 1-2 year window to win the title depending on how the rest of the roster looks. At the very least, it's an interesting idea to keep in mind as the season unfolds.