Jimmy Butler Wouldn't Be Ideal Stephen Curry Co-Star amid Warriors Trade Rumors

NBA trade season has suddenly become awash with landscape-altering activity.

It's past time for the Golden State Warriors to get involved in the big-name wheeling and dealing.

The Dubs just need to know that not every available star is worth pursuing.

That maybe sounds obvious, but it's also something they disagree with. As ESPN's Shams Charania relayed during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the Warriors "are legitimately calling about every All-Star player" and "are dead set on trying to find another star player, superstar player, (to pair) with Stephen Curry."

Golden State's reason for casting such a wide net is obvious. Its long-standing need for a legitimate co-star alongside Stephen Curry is that significant. There are hints of high-end abilities from Jonathan Kuminga and stretches of solid-or-better games for Andrew Wiggins, but nothing consistently great enough to fill that second-star void.

Oft-discussed and thrice-suspended Miami Heat swingman Jimmy Butler has the bona fides to fill that role. He's a six-time All-Star and author of some of the most dominant postseason showings in recent memory.

On the surface, he appears a perfectly suitable candidate for the job. And despite a recent report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst that Butler has communicated to the Warriors he is "not interested in signing a contract extension there," they "believe they are still firmly in the mix for (him)," per The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

Making the money work on a Butler blockbuster is tricky. The Warriors would have to sacrifice multiple significant players to match his $48.8 million salary, per Spotrac. That's a juggling act on its own, and that's before accounting for his future uncertainty, as his contract holds just a $52.4 million player option for next season.

Golden State would have to jettison one of Wiggins, perhaps its best two-way player, or Draymond Green, its defensive architect and Curry's long-running sidekick, and more just to line up the finances. Throw in whatever other sweeteners Miami would ask for, and the cost adds up quickly.

Granted, that's true of just about any star the Warriors would pursue, but Butler brings different baggage than the rest. Setting aside his uncertain future, there's also his ongoing availability issues and the fact he's headed toward another bitter breakup with an NBA employer. As The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II recently put it, "the drama coming out of Miami is not lost on this locker room."

Now, talent has a way of trumping chemistry concerns, but does Butler warrant such a high-degree of risk-taking? He's now three seasons removed from his last All-Star selection and wouldn't have warranted consideration this season even without the suspensions. His 17 points per game are his fewest in over a decade. His 4.8 assists are his lowest since 2018-19.

For an offense in serious need of a jolt, are the Warriors sure he's the right player to provide it? He has never been much of a shooting threat, so spacing would be a concern whenever he's paired with another non-shooter. He also tends to do his best offensive work with the ball in his hands, so would Golden State be willing to trim down Curry's touches to get Butler's best?

Those don't feel like concessions worth making. Not when taking into account everything else that Butler would bring. And definitely not when considering the alternatives in the Warriors' star search, which includes the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Those players are in their twilight years, too, but their production doesn't show their mileage the way Butler's has. Durant is still pumping an efficient 26.9 points per night. James' nightly contributions include 24 points on 51.3 percent shooting and 9.1 assists. Those are the kinds of numbers the Warriors would need to see to consider moving Curry out of the focal-point role and into more of a 1A-1B setup.

While there's always a proverbial right price for any player, even a bargain deal for Butler would carry too many risks. Golden State doesn't have anything close to the Association's best collection of assets, so it might only get one crack at finding the right co-star for Curry. Butler just isn't it.