This entire Jimmy Butler fiasco of "will he, won't he" be traded is appearing to get on every basketball fan's last nerve.
Butler says he wants out of Miami by any means necessary, but has reservations about going to certain teams. Memphis, while an absolutely stellar fit for Butler on paper, is the least of his concerns when it comes to a trade destination. Meanwhile, many analysts and fans alike were set on Butler's fit and desire to play for Golden State; yet new developments have revealed he isn't sold on committing to the Warriors long-term.
And so, the plot thickens.
NBA insider Jake Fischer recently revealed in his column "The People's Insider" for Marc Stein's Substack that Golden State could switch gears to acquiring a familiar face from years past: Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant.
In his report, Fischer pointed out how the Warriors ended conversations to poach Bulls stars Zach LaVine (subsequently traded to the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 2) and Nikola Vucevic out of Chicago in favor of "exploring the feasibility of reuniting Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry."
Butler's impending future now rests in a potential, yet convoluted, multi-team deal that could reroute superstars and role players alike to new destinations, where the Toronto Raptors would likely be included in such a transaction.
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According to Fischer, both Phoenix and Butler have a mutual interest in working out a trade, however, "still have no path to acquiring Butler by involving Beal thanks to that pesky no-trade clause."
Thus, to get past the roadblock that is Bradley Beal, would Phoenix instead opt to give up their 36-year-old superstar, Durant, to gain the services of Butler?
Draft capital is likely to be involved and such, but the player blueprint for a multi-team trade involving Butler and Durant would look something like this:
- Phoenix Suns acquire Jimmy Butler
- Golden State Warriors acquire Kevin Durant
- Miami Heat acquire Bruce Brown
- Toronto Raptors acquire Andrew Wiggins
That's just at the base of things, of course. There would still need to be other assets attached to match salaries, and it all rests on how willing each team is to commit to what they're getting back. Fischer also mentioned the Suns' interest in young Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga, who could, in his own right, headline a Kevin Durant deal (though he's not included in the above scenario).
Looking at things for the Raptors, I recently examined how Wiggins' fit alongside Barnes and Toronto's young core is a plus move, aside from his relatively expensive price tag. He brings championship-level experience to his hometown team, and he's exactly the type of veteran archetype to help push Toronto to a Detroit Pistons-esque jump in subsequent seasons.
We've seen in years past how under-the-radar teams pull off sneaky-good deals for themselves without giving up anything too significant. When James Harden was sent to Brooklyn in 2021, the Cavaliers somehow got Jarrett Allen in the deal, only giving up Dante Exum and a late first-round pick. Look at how impactful Allen has become to the Cavs' core; it was undoubtedly a genius move.
These trade talks could get even more spicy if the Warriors somehow find a way to attract LeBron James out of Los Angeles, too. As we all know, this weekend saw arguably the most absurd trade in NBA history go down: Dallas dealt their generational talent, Luka Doncic, away to the Lakers for Anthony Davis.
It still remains to be seen if Butler ends up being rewarded with a trade, given his problematic behavior souring a ton across the league, including the Raptors' own jolly voice, Jack Armstrong. However, if he does, the always lurking Masai Ujiri and Toronto Raptors will likely be there to reap some of the honey for themselves too.