On Wednesday evening, the Warriors made a huge splash to acquire Jimmy Butler but aren’t content with stopping there. Golden State wants to improve its roster further with its eyes on one more player on the market. NBA insider Brian Windhorst reports the Warriors want to improve their center play. Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic remains at the top of their priority list.
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Windhorst appeared on ESPN’s Get Up to share developing information ahead of today’s 3 PM trade deadline. Before trading for Butler, the Warriors and Bulls were close at work in attempts to finalize a deal for Vucevic. Although Golden State used some of their asset pool to acquire the former Heat star, they still have enough for a potential Vucevic deal.
Windhorst said,
“The Golden State Warriors might not be done dealing, Brian Windhorst reports on ‘Get Up.’ Windhorst said the Warriors have multiple expiring contracts to deal, and could be looking for a big man who can shoot, like the Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic.”
The Golden State Warriors could still make more deals, per @WindhorstESPN
“The Golden State Warriors might not be done dealing, Brian Windhorst reports on ‘Get Up.’ Windhorst said the Warriors have multiple expiring contracts to deal, and could be looking for a big man who can… pic.twitter.com/XiptzhmVlY
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 6, 2025
The addition of Butler certainly improves the Warriors’ roster. However, they aren’t clear-cut championship favorites. Some may even protest that they aren’t contenders at all. There are still many areas on the roster that need improvement. The acquisition of Vucevic would provide head coach Steve Kerr with a big that would thrive in their offensive system.
The combination of the expiring contracts of Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II gives the Warriors roughly $17 million to work with. Financially, the trade would go through since Vucevic is only earning $20 million this season. Vucevic would serve as an excellent secondary option to Curry and Butler.
Golden State has failed to put competent scorers around Curry. The addition of Butler will surely help change that reality.
Does Jimmy Butler make the Warriors a contender?
The Warriors are currently the 11th seed in the West with a 25-25 record. There is a possibility they sneak into the top six and avoid the Play-In but their chances are slim. Regardless, the addition of Butler makes Golden State a dangerous team that nobody wants to face.
Due to the lack of offensive power aside from Curry, opposing teams were able to defend the Warriors with ease. Curry was seeing two or even three bodies on each possession. Butler alleviates that offensive burden and provides the Warriors with a different scoring threat.
They will certainly be competitive but they are lacking in depth in comparison to other contenders in the West. However, a trade for Vucevic would give Golden State a much-needed paint presence. Draymond Green and Butler aren’t floor-spacing players although they’re capable of hitting three-pointers.
Vucevic, on the other hand, is shooting lights out from three-point range this season at 39.4%. Adding a floor-spacing big would do wonders for the Warriors’ offense and may be what they need to reach contention once again.
