When news broke Tuesday that the Miami Heat were open to moving on from veteran star Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors were one of the first teams brought up.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed on a recent episode of Get Up the Warriors are ready to pursue a potential trade for the six-time All-Star.
"The most important names to watch from now until the February trade deadline It's not just Jonathan Kuminga, but it's also Jimmy Butler down in Miami," Windhorst said. "I wouldn't say it's a done deal yet, but I think teams are starting to kick the tires right there and see what it might take. The Warriors are one of them. The Warriors have been really active in trying to look for a star player."
It's smart for any contending team with a desire to acquire star talent to have a backup plan, something the Heat struggled to do in recent offseasons. The Heat's heavy focus on landing Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell resulted in a lack of changes surrounding their Big Three of Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro.
The Warriors are not taking any chances when it comes to trading for a star, having one of the strongest backup options imaginable.
"But who else is on their list? That's LeBron James. The Warriors have dreamed of pairing LeBron with Steph Curry and Draymond Green since last year. They made an inquiry, and it got shut down last February. That was before LeBron played with Steve Kerr and Steph Curry and won the gold medal over the summer, so they will definitely monitor the situation, but I would just say with LeBron, it's up to him," Windhorst concluded.
James is an even stronger option than Butler, but it's far less likely the 39-year-old sees a change of scenery.
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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.