Proposed 3-team Hawks trade lands haul featuring championship duo, high value picks

Warriors reload on star power in proposed 3-team trade with Hawks & Heat

Like Butler, Warriors star Stephen Curry is in the twilight of his career. And there are reasons to make this deal for one last surge.

Butler’s motivation could be one of them.

“They're adding Jimmy Butler to a team that already has Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Butler is also coming into a contract year where he has to establish his value, so his motivation to stay healthy should be at an all-time high,” Raman wrote.

“Their starting lineup has tons of offense and enough defense to cover for Curry's shortcomings as a defender.”

Butler led the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2019-20 and 2022-23.

He was the No. 1 option on both sides of the ball in both runs, with Adebayo and Herro playing second and third fiddle. Herro missed the 2023 run, putting even more of an offensive burden on Butler.

That could do wonders to alleviate some of the wear and tear he has endured over the years with his physical style of play.

The Warriors would add over $347,000 to their books in this deal.

That amount is negligible for them even with a tax penalty. But the questions about Butler, who is a more willing shooter now, and Green could be enough to offset even Curry’s otherworldly spacing and gravity.

The Warrior would also be moving their best chance at their next star in Kuminga, even if he is not close to Curry’s level.

That makes this a tough sell despite the obvious risk of wasting the end of the Steph Curry era.

Grade – C-: The star appeal of Butler – whose toughness is a skill in and of itself – would have to outweigh several other logical reasons for this to make sense to even a potentially desperate Golden State front office.