It sure sounds like Draymond Green is standing between Warriors and Jimmy Butler

The Golden State Warriors are back in the mix for Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler ahead of the NBA trade deadline, according to the latest report from Yahoo's Kevin O'Connor.

As the Heat operate with increased desperation to offload Butler (and the headache that comes with him), the Dubs have a chance to acquire an All-Star wing for well below market price. ESPN's Shams Charania recently described the Butler sweepstakes as a two-horse race between Golden State and Phoenix.

On paper, this is a unique window of opportunity for the Warriors to make a splash. But, there are a few potential red flags worth noting. For one, the Heat don't want long-term contracts, and Golden State can't realistically match salaries for Butler without including Andrew Wiggins. Secondly, Butler is not viewed internally as a good locker room fit.

Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry obviously hold tremendous sway in the Warriors organization. If neither cosigns a Butler trade, it's just not going to happen. We can wax poetic about the potential on-court fit, but Kerr runs a tight ship and has a specific vision for players in his system and in his locker room.

One can't help but point to Draymond Green when seeing a report of this nature. Butler is a notoriously volatile and combustive personality, but the Dubs have been trying to acquire a star since the early summer months. Lauri Markkanen, Paul George, Karl-Anthony Towns — we've been through the whole gauntlet. Now Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are suddenly on their radar.

Butler is clearly worth the risk for his talent alone, but the locker room factor is notable, and it starts with Green.

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Draymond Green might stand in the way of Jimmy Butler-Warriors trade

Butler loves to operate on his own wavelength. That was a clear reason for the deterioration of his relationship with Miami, and it could ruffle feathers in Golden State. Beyond the obvious reasons why Kerr might not enjoy the Butler experience, the Warriors also need to contend with Draymond's propensity for butting heads.

Both Butler and Green are hard-nosed, sharp-edged competitors. Butler tends to take his foot off the gas pedal in the regular season, though, and his off-court persona does not always match the seriousness with which he performs under the brightest of lights. Green, for lack of a better word, can be something of a scoundrel. He punched Jordan Poole in practice and destroyed Golden State's chemistry for an entire season. He's a short fuse attached to a nuclear temperament, which might not be the best match next to Butler.

Now, should the Warriors just trade Green instead of Wiggins to solve this hypothetical conflict? There's a strong case for it, only Butler notoriously disdains Wiggins, if we are to judge from their brief but infamous time together in Minnesota. There's really no clear path to Butler that does not present the possibility for friction off the court. It's a fair point of concern.

As for whether or not this should deter the Warriors from gambling on Butler... probably not? Like, Golden State is currently in competitive no-man's land, not bad enough to tank and not nearly good enough to pose a threat to the West's heavyweights. Steph is still Steph, more or less, but unless Golden State can tip the scales in a pronounced way, this season will end in disappointment.

So, the "risk" of Butler does not really outweigh the potential benefits of adding a second All-Star creator next to Steph, unlocking new offensive wrinkles and significantly elevating Golden State's postseason ceiling. There's a nonzero chance Butler and Green end up the best of buds, finding common ground in their own brashness.

It feels like the Warriors are going to pass on Butler in the end, but don't be surprised if it becomes one of the more notable "what ifs" in recent memory.