NBA Rumors: Teams Weren't 'Eager to Trade' a Superstar to Warriors Before Butler Deal

Rival teams reportedly weren't eager to do a solid for the Golden State Warriors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II wrote that other franchises were not "eager to trade one of their superstars to Golden State," citing the Warriors' inability to land Paul George or Lauri Markkanen in the offseason.

Thompson reflected that Jimmy Butler was in a similar bind as opportunities outside of the Miami Heat quickly dried up. As a result, he and the Warriors "looked around at their options and saw they were the only lonely ones in the club."

Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Golden State is acquiring the six-time All-Star in a four-team swap that will see Andrew Wiggins head to Miami.

It's no secret that Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. hoped to land Kevin Durant before setting his sights on Butler. Windhorst reported the Warriors, Heat and Phoenix Suns were in discussions on a trade that would've seen Durant in the Bay Area and Butler in Phoenix.

Warriors team governor Joe Lacob has received plenty of mockery over the years for his 2016 comments that the organization was "light years ahead of probably every other team." The Butler trade further brings into focus the folly of assuming the good times would keep rolling in perpetuity for Golden State.

As with every dynasty throughout sports history, the Warriors weren't immune from a decline and they have been left scrambling to account for the decline of the stars responsible for their success. As Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson aged, it became harder and harder to contend for a championship.

It's a sign of the front office's desperation that it's not only trading for Butler but also reportedly giving him a two-year, $111 million extension that keeps him under contract through 2026-27.

This might be Dunleavy's last roll of the dice to get Curry and Green one more title.