A disastrous 51-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday has furthered the possibility of a significant trade for the Golden State Warriors in the coming weeks, with the franchise linked to a number of plays after moving for Dennis Schroder last week.
Jimmy Butler is clearly the most notable player in trade speculation right now, having been connected to the Warriors, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in various reports from ESPN's Shams Charania this week.
Former Warriors guard Klay Thompson could be on the move again
Any trade for Butler is going to be difficult to execute given his $48.8 million salary, along with actually appeasing the Miami Heat from an asset perspective. Golden State, for example, would have to send out at least four players to acquire the 6x All-Star, not to mention draft assets also being involved.
If the Warriors prove unwilling or incapable of getting a deal completed with the Heat, then perhaps the Mavericks could be the team that pulls off another significant mid-season trade after getting Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington prior to the last two deadlines.
The Mavericks' connection to Butler is a little bit perplexing given that, on the surface, the 35-year-old doesn't appear a great fit alongside Irving and Luka Doncic. Butler is best with the ball in his hands creating, as opposed to former Warrior Klay Thompson who is now utilizing his catch-and-shoot skillset to play off the dynamic Dallas duo.
But that doesn't mean the Mavericks couldn't consider a trade that actually flips Thompson for Butler in what would be a rather shock move for the reigning Western Conference champions. That's exactly what ESPN's Bobby Marks has proposed in a trade hypothetical on Thursday, with a four-team deal that involves sending Butler to Dallas, Thompson to the New Orleans Pelicans and Brandon Ingram to the Heat.
Moving Thompson so early into a three-year contract wouldn't necessarily be an admission by the Mavericks that they made a mistake, but more so that they're simply trying to load up as much firepower as possible for another deep playoff run.
Butler would be an awkward fit, yet there's no doubt he's a better player at this stage of their respective careers. Despite scoring 51 points over his last two games, including a season-high 29 against the Warriors on Sunday, Thompson is currently shooting career-lows from the field and 3-point range.
Such a complicated four-team trade is incredibly unlikely to come to fruition, but
