NBA Insider: Warriors Could Pursue Heat's Jimmy Butler Amid Trade, Contract Rumors

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has been named as a prime trade candidate this offseason, and it sounds like a Western Conference contender will be interested in acquiring his services.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported on Thursday that "if the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, I would expect the [Golden State] Warriors to enter the conversation to at least some degree."

In a follow-up to a report from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week that the Philadelphia 76ers would be open to acquiring Butler and signing him to a max contract extension, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday there are "two other teams that have made it known in league circles that they would be willing to trade for Butler and sign him to a max-level contract."

Butler is set to make $48.8 million in the 2024-25 season and has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign. Chiang reported that Butler is seeking a two-year, $113 million extension from the Heat that would essentially provide a $2 million increase on his player option and a $58.6 million salary in 2026-27.

Butler has embodied the spirit of the Heat since he arrived in 2019, and Chiang noted that he has "repeatedly made it clear—publicly and privately—that he wants to spend the rest of his NBA career with the Heat." However, there have been whispers that the feeling may not be mutual.

The Athletic's John Hollinger reported on May 2 that "between [Butler's] declining play this season and the constant absences, there are increasingly loud whispers that his future might not be in Miami."

If the Warriors are willing to pony up with a big offer for Butler, they could be a viable landing spot for the 34-year-old as he tries to chase the first NBA championship of his career.