Warriors GM Dunleavy Shuts Down Jimmy Butler-Giannis Trade Question After NBA Deadline Rumors

Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was not interested in discussing any specifics of the team's deadline talks with the Milwaukee Bucks about Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Speaking to reporters prior to Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Dunleavy dismissed a question about whether or not Jimmy Butler's name was included in trade scenarios for Antetokounmpo.

"You're putting words in my mouth," Dunleavy said. "No, no, no. We're not doing that. I'm not going down the roster talking about who is in trades and who is not. We don't do that."

As the Warriors kept popping up as a potential landing spot for Antetokounmpo prior to the Feb. 5 deadline, two names that were frequently mentioned as possible trade candidates were Butler and Draymond Green.

Per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Warriors were considered the "most aggressive" Antetokounmpo suitor and Milwaukee was "fascinated" by the idea of acquiring "all" of their future draft assets.

Even though it wasn't specified what Golden State was offering to match salaries, Butler was the most-likely candidate because he is making $54.1 million this season. His season came to an end on Jan. 19 due to a torn ACL, which also leaves his status for the early part of the 2026-27 campaign up in the air.

Green admitted hearing his name in rumors made for a "nerve-wracking" period of not knowing for sure where he was going to be playing. He would have had to be paired with another player, like Jonathan Kuminga, for salary-matching if the Bucks deal had come together because he is only making $25.9 million this season and has a $27.7 million player option for next season.

Dunleavy was also asked about possibly trading Green, but noted the Warriors never shopped him and his name only came up when other teams would ask about him:

"His name was not in conversations other than the ones where teams called me to ask about him. The idea that he stayed with the Warriors past the deadline was greatly exaggerated. It was never a possibility of him not being here or remotely close. I've conveyed that to him."

Butler always made more sense as a potential facilitator for any trade because of his salary, but instead he will remain a member of the Warriors for at least the remainder of this season.

Depending on how things play out for the Warriors over the next two months and potentially into the playoffs, Dunleavy and his staff could attempt to use Butler's expiring salary for next season as a potential trade chip in the offseason.

The Warriors are sitting in eighth in the Western Conference with a 28-25 record. They have lost three of their last four games, including a 105-99 defeat against the Lakers on Saturday night.