Report: Jimmy Butler, Cam Johnson Unlikely to Land with Warriors at Trade Deadline

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 16, 2025

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The Golden State Warriors have reportedly directed their attention away from a couple of wing targets and toward some potential frontcourt help leading up to the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

According to HoopsHype.com’s Michael Scotto, the Warriors’ chances of making a trade for Miami Heat veteran Jimmy Butler or Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson have “decreased.”

Instead, Golden State is reportedly focusing on landing a big with the Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vučević, the Utah Jazz’s John Collins, the Washington Wizards’ Jonas Valančiūnas and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams being among the players they have inquired about.

Scotto added that the Warriors are “reluctant” to move forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is their best young player and trade chip, and that they don’t want to “mortgage future assets” in an effort to given Stephen Curry and Draymond Green another opportunity to contend for a championship.

It is possible that Johnson is the type of player who would require Kuminga as part of the return, which may be why he is no longer a realistic option for Golden State.

The 28-year-old forward is enjoying a career year in Brooklyn, averaging 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 three-pointers made and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Given his length at 6’8″ coupled with his shooting ability, Johnson would seemingly be the ideal compliment to Curry, but the Nets would likely want a ton in return based on the numbers he is putting up.

The Warriors and Nets already made one trade this season, as Brooklyn sent veteran guard Dennis Schröder to Golden State in December.

That move hasn’t yet paid dividends for the Warriors, as Schröder’s production dropped from 18.4 points, 6.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game with the Nets to 10.2 points, 4.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds per contest with the Dubs.

Butler would perhaps be an easier player to land in a trade than Johnson since he is 35 and can become a free agent at the end of the season.

Also, the Heat recently suspended Butler for seven games for conduct detrimental to the team and announced that it would listen to trade offers for him, so Miami is operating from a disadvantageous position.

Since Butler has long been a quality playoff performer who twice led the Heat to the NBA Finals, he would perhaps be a great fit alongside Curry and Green down the stretch, but Scotto’s report suggests a trade for Butler isn’t in the cards for the Warriors.

Entering play Thursday, the Warriors are 10th in the Western Conference at 20-20, so it is clear that they need an addition or two to go from fringe playoff team to championship contender.

If such a trade happens, it sounds as though it will be focused on an interior contributor rather than a replacement for Klay Thompson, who signed with the Dallas Mavericks this past offseason.