Warriors Shouldn't Pursue Jimmy Butler Trade amid LeBron James Buzz, NBA Rumors

The Golden State Warriors remain on the hunt for a co-star for Stephen Curry.

A few players apparently grabbed their attention.

One is six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, who is down to the final guaranteed season on his contract (player option for 2025-26). The Miami Heat are reportedly "open to listening to offers for Butler," per ESPN's Shams Charania, and if Butler winds up being moved, he reportedly considers Golden State one of his preferred destinations.

That's interesting, and something the Warriors should keep tabs on, but the focus of this front office should be right where it was at the last trade deadline: seeing if there's a way to lure LeBron James to town.

Dreams don't get much bigger than that, and even it feels far-fetched on the surface, Golden State won't simply accept it as such. The Warriors will go down this road if there's a chance it might actually lead to James.

"The Warriors have dreamed of pairing LeBron with Steph Curry and Draymond Green since last year," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Get Up. "... They will definitely monitor the situation, and I don't think they do anything without knowing this door is locked."

As Windhorst noted, James holds all the cards.

"He has a no-trade clause, and he has given no indication he wants the Lakers to do anything but upgrade the roster they've got, not that he wants to go anywhere," Windhorst said.

It's fine if James feels that way for now. The trade deadline doesn't come around until February, so the Dubs have time to wait and see if he'd consider a scenery change. And perhaps he might if the Lakers can't show more fight than they have of late (3-7 in their last 10 games).

James is nearing his 40th birthday. Retirement can't be far off. If he wants any hope of adding to his championship collection, it might literally be now or never.

If he did decide to ask out, L.A. wouldn't hold him back. The Lakers "would work with him to find a deal that lands him where he'd rather be," per ClutchPoints' Anthony Irwin, who added there's a belief that Bronny James "would have to be part of the deal."

This doesn't seem impossible—depending on how James feels about the Lakers' championship chances, of course. Until it does, the Warriors should make sure a theoretical James trade remains possible for their side, too.

They're hoping to find a "star player—a playmaker, scorer" to pair with Curry and Green, per Charania, and few players better fit that description than James, who's still putting up 23 points and 9.1 assists per night. Adding his IQ to this system could be a cheat code, and the combination of his creation with Curry's shot-making sounds unstoppable.

James is almost a turbo-charged version of what the Warriors would get with Butler. The latter might bring more to the table defensively, but the former is a more natural scorer and table-setter, not to mention a better outside shooter.

The idea of having James with Curry and Green in Golden State feels fantastical, and yet you can see what might bring these parties together. As long as that vision can feasibly form, the Dubs shouldn't abandon their dream.