The Golden State Warriors were, in the minds of critics, going to have to endure a 2024-25 rebuild following roster changes that included the iconic Klay Thompson's move to the Dallas Mavericks. And in the long term, that might still be the case.
But in the early going? The Warriors are off to a winning start with newcomer Buddy Hield having done a fine job of filling the Thompson void ... and it's all happening even as Steph Curry is out with an ankle injury.
And should the Warriors opt to build on this start and accelerate the rebuild? That's where the Jimmy Butler rumor deserves to get some traction.
Curry, Hield, and Draymond Green can represent a winning core. But the idea of a "second star'' resonates in the NBA for true contenders.
And Butler - with a future in Miami that seems in limbo - is certainly that.
Butler did not get a contract extension in the offseason, leading to the thought that the Heat will also be facing a rebuild. The assumption now is that he will opt out of his player option to make himself a free agent next summer. There is logic in a struggling Miami wishing to get value for him now.
Along with the Butler rumor comes weighty speculation about the Warriors' willingness to say goodbye to Jonathan Kuminga via a trade. To put it bluntly, as our Jonah Kubicek writes, "The Warriors and Kuminga are on the outs.''
Kuminga is a 22-year-old with a future. Butler is 36. So is Curry. Green is 34. But if "the future is now''? Warriors fans are likely all saying the same thing about stepping on the gas here.
Keep in mind that the Warriors didn't lock up Kuminga with an extension from the Warriors this summer ... and file that away as another sign that he might be on the outs ... a concept that is a tantalizing one when paired with Butler rumors.
