As the NBA off-season continues, so do the rumours linking stars to rival teams.
There’s still a lot of high-calibre players that are yet to secure a long-term future with their teams (or those looking for an exit strategy due to a plethora of reasons), giving fans and the media alike plenty of headspace to continue in doling out trade and free agency scenarios.
But perhaps one of the most—if not the most—intriguing prospects involve the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry. Just what are their plans in the future, with the best shooter of all time already in the twilight of his career?
Golden State, of course, were the centre of attention after being involved in the most talked-about off-season move when they traded Curry’s long-time dance partner—Klay Thompson—in a six-team trade that saw the team land Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson in the process.
Thompson’s departure was shocking in terms of nostalgia value and of the Warriors’ loyalty to one of their greatest players that helped usher in a golden era within the team. But basketball wise, it may be the right thing to do.
And with Draymond Green past his prime, along with a supporting cast subpar compared to the team’s olden days, this year may not be a good one for the Dubs.
However, they just might have a saving grace next summer.
Enter, Jimmy Butler
Perhaps one final hurrah before it’s all said and done, the Warriors may have a chance to land one of the league’s biggest stars in Jimmy Butler next season.
The 35-year-old forward is a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA and five-time All-Defence. He’s also averaged 20.8 points, five boards and five assists in his 14-year NBA career.
If—and this is a big what if—Butler won’t sign an extension with the Miami Heat, then the Warriors will be his best landing spot, according to SBOTOP NBA 2024 updates.
The very idea of this rumour came about last week, when The Athletic’s Sam Amick opened the possibility of this move to happen sometime down the road.
Stemming from the fact that Butler is yet to commit to an extension with his current ball club, Amick perhaps put two and two together and away the news goes.
“Jimmy Butler’s going to be a free agent next summer, didn’t get an extension done. The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think probably made a couple calls during the summer,” he said.
Butler has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025/26 season. Aside from that, he can also sign up for up to two years in a $112.9 million extension.
Should he forego that, then Pat Riley will no doubt get a tonne of enquiries for his prized star.
As of now, there’s still no news with regards to whether he’ll sign or not, and all we have is Pat Riley’s statement back in June, where his commitment to Butler moving forward remains on the fence.
“We have not discussed that [a Butler extension] internally right now. We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when we do it. We don’t have to do it until 2025, actually. But we’ll see. We haven’t made a decision on it, and we haven’t really in earnest discussed it,” he said.
The front office is aware of the shortcomings
Now that the other half of the ‘Splash Brothers’ is gone, it’s looking like the Warriors will enter the upcoming season as lowly contenders, hoping to sneak through a brutal Western Conference.
Sure, they may have a chance at landing a star player—be it Butler or otherwise—but that won’t come in the time they need to make a competitive run this season.
With the West stronger than ever, the NBA 2024 odds have never been more stacked against the Warriors, who, at best, might not even finish in the play-in spots.
And the management is aware of such facts.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors themselves do not think that the current roster is capable of presenting any challenges to compete for the title.
“The key Warriors’ stakeholders grasp Curry’s sustained greatness and, team sources said, there is an internal understanding that his current supporting cast can’t be considered a finished product if the 2025 NBA championship is believed to be a reachable goal,” he said.
As crushing as it may sound, this is the undeniable truth. And the sooner ‘Dub Nation’ can accept this, the better.
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