Warriors, after Durant's refusal, focus on Jimmy Butler

The Golden State Warriors’ move is being described as a desperate attempt to add a star to their roster to be a real competitor. The primary target has slipped away, and that target was Kevin Durant. According to The Athletic, the franchise was ready to make a substantial offer for KD, but he decided he did not want to return to the Bay Area. The two-time NBA champion, who won titles with the Warriors, does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, but Golden State wants to avoid acquiring a player who is already disgruntled from the start. Therefore, the focus has now shifted to Miami. According to the same source, the Warriors are now making a move for Jimmy Butler, who has already made it clear that he is not enthusiastic about the idea of being traded to Golden State.

Marc Stein confirms that the Warriors now want to acquire Butler, but also that they had been eyeing this possibility for some time. Shortly after the 35-year-old formally requested a trade, Golden State did not immediately show interest. However, things have changed since last week, when Miami lowered its asking price to part ways with their player. The Warriors, along with the Suns, remain the favorites to land Butler, even though, as widely explained, the operations in this case are quite complex. Phoenix was unable to structure a deal centered around Bradley Beal due to his no-trade clause and expensive contract, but if the Suns are willing to consider swapping Durant for Butler with Miami, the Heat would definitely be interested, as reported by The Miami Herald. A Warriors offer for Butler would likely center around Andrew Wiggins but would also include Dennis Schroder and a significant package of future draft picks.