Whenever a big-name candidate has hit the trade market in recent years, fans and observers have immediately tried to connect them to the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors match the profile of a team willing to take a big swing: an aging, mediocre team with enough talent in the form of guard Stephen Curry to justify moving assets out for a proven veteran. In other words, they're the type of team that may be able to make use of forward Jimmy Butler as he falls out with the Miami Heat.
Not so fast. According to a Saturday morning report from Sam Amick, Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, the Warriors are eyeing two potential pieces from other teams—and they are unlikely to trade for Butler.
"(Brooklyn Nets forward) Cameron Johnson is one of the hottest current names on the market. He’d fill a need as an extra shooting wing who could fit in versatile lineup combinations and also makes a reasonable $22.5 million this season," the trio wrote—noting that Golden State was running behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings in the race for his services.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is another story.
"The front office and coaching staff have acknowledged back to training camp this team’s need for a true stretch center, something Curry has never really had. Vucevic is making 44% of his nearly five threes per game this season and averaging 20.3 points per game," Amick, Slater and Thompson wrote.
The NBA's trade deadline is Feb. 6, and the Warriors are currently sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference at 17-16.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Warriors Eyeing Two Trade Candidates From Bulls, Nets Over Heat's Jimmy Butler.
