Grade the Trade: 4-team bombshell would send Jimmy Butler to the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors spent their summer trying and failing to trade for an All-Star wing. Both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen were within the Dubs' grasp, but both trade possibilities fell through due to Golden State's unwillingness to part with certain prospects (Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski).

Next up on the Warriors wish list is Jimmy Butler, who has not received a contract extension from the Miami Heat. Butler has made his desire to stay in South Beach abundantly clear, but that won't matter if the Heat don't make a concerted effort to keep him around. Butler wants another payday and some team will cough it up, even if that team is on the opposite coastline.

If Butler leaves the sunny shores of Miami, odds are he wants to contend for a championship and live comfortably in a major market. San Francisco is a beautiful city and the Warriors have postseason-proven stars in Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. It's a natural fit, even if Butler's advanced age (along with Steph and Draymond's) could lead to concerns about the longevity of this hypothetical new Warriors "superteam."

Over at Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus has fashioned a four-team trade that lands Butler in a Warriors uniform. With so much uncertainty around Butler's future in Miami, it wouldn't be shocking if the Heat consider a trade. It's better to net value in return than to let Butler walk for nothing as a free agent.

Here are the full details:

The Boston Celtics receive $1.1 million in cash as part of this trade.

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Wild 4-team trade sends Jimmy Butler to Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga to Heat

Alright, as far as fake trades are concerned, this is rock solid. Would it require more draft capital from Golden State to grease the wheels on this trade? Perhaps, but Butler is a 34-year-old aging star in the final year of his contract. He's also a borderline non-shooter, especially in the regular season, who tends to play less than 60 regular season games in a given year. At a certain point, Miami needs to shelve its outsized perception of Butler's stardom and accept the reality of the situation.

Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga still feels light for a return, but Kuminga is 22 years old with a developmental arrow pointed up — made all the more appealing when viewed in the context of Miami's player developmental system. The same can be said for Wiggins, who is bound to transform back into everybody's dream 3-and-D wing once Erik Spoelstra is pulling the strings. That is hyperbole, of course, but players tend to perform better in Miami. It is a scientifically observed fact.

The Heat get a new younger building block to develop alongside Bam Adebayo and the flexibility to go out and land a new star, either via trade or free agency.

Heat grade: C

As for Golden State, it's Jimmy Butler. Kuminga is awesome, but the Dubs don't want to pay that second contract, which could creep north of $200 million. Transforming a restricted free agency headache and Andrew Wiggins' albatross contract into a bonafide All-NBA star who can put the Warriors back on the postseason map is a win.

The spacing gets wonky with Butler and Green, especially when there's a true big man on the floor with them, but Butler is generally selfless in his approach. He doesn't step on toes until he has to, and then he absolutely detonates. He's one of the best clutch-time performers of the last decade and his postseason resume is among the most impressive in basketball, even without a championship to his name.

Golden State's core would be old, yeah, but betting on the star-power of Butler and Steph is totally justifiable. Especially when it comes at such a reasonable cost.

Warriors grade: A

As for the other teams involved, this is basically cleanup duty. Detroit gets cash in exchange for absorbing a couple expiring contracts in Gary Payton and Kevon Looney, who could both be flipped in a future trade. That's just good business for a rebuilding team, especially with a few second-round picks tossed in for good measure. Detroit is getting paid to add a couple rotation pieces and veteran leaders with trade utility. Zero notes.

Pistons grade: A+

The Celtics transform Anton Watson, their 2024 second-round pick, into $1.1 million in cash. There's not much to write home about here. Watson is a fascinating prospect but his future is murky at best on such a loaded Celtics team. This frees up a roster spot and some flexibility for Boston, but it deprives them of a potential developmental hit on a cheap contract.

Eh.

Celtics grade: D+