Golden State Warriors Didn’t Show Appetite To Offer Jimmy Butler For Anthony Davis Or Jaylen Brown
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors didn’t show an appetite to offer Jimmy Butler for Anthony Davis or Jaylen Brown this summer, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.
The Boston Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, while Davis remains on the Washington Wizards.
“The Warriors didn’t show an appetite to offer Butler for Anthony Davis or Jaylen Brown this summer, considering the pick packages required and contracts attached to both,” Slater wrote. “All other Butler-plus-picks conversations — for what the Warriors believe are ultimately lesser players once Butler returns — were shut down, team sources said.”
Butler tore his right ACL on January 19, 2026, against his former team, the Miami Heat. The six-time All-Star missed the rest of the 2025-26 season, and he will miss the start of this season.
Butler Talks Return
Butler told Slater that the next step in his ACL rehab is landing from a game-speed jump without issue or concern.
The Warriors believe Butler, 37, could be back in the January-to-February range.
“I know [an exact target date],” Butler said with a smile. “We know. Y’all just find out whenever y’all find out.”
Butler will make $56.8 million this season in the final year of his contract. The Warriors acquired the Houston native from the Heat during the 2024-25 season.
In 38 games for Golden State last season, Butler averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 86.4% from the free-throw line.
The Warriors went 23-15 with Butler in the lineup. They finished the season 37-45 and missed the playoffs.
“I just want to help those guys win another [title], man,” Butler said. “And get me one. I felt I let them down. Now, as I’m going through this rehab process, as I’m starting to move and run and jump, I’m like, oh s—, I could still do it. And that’s why I say y’all motherf—ers going to be real shocked if y’all think I’m going to come back and be some bum a– player.
“I bet y’all not going to leave me. I bet no team going to be like, ‘Oh, no, don’t guard that guy.’ They’re not going to do that. I bet whenever I step on the floor, they’re going to send more than one body. I bet you’re still going to foul me. So what are we talking about here?”
Small Contingent Of Warriors’ Front Office Wanted To Trade Butler To Wizards For Davis
According to Logan Murdock of The Ringer, a small contingent of the Warriors’ front office wanted to trade Butler to the Wizards for Davis this summer.
A deal didn’t go down because of Davis’ injury history and desire for a new extension.
It is widely believed in NBA circles that had the Warriors traded for Davis, LeBron James would have signed with Golden State instead of Philadelphia.
Davis and James led the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 championship at the Walt Disney World bubble. The two All-Stars have the same agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, and are very close friends.
Warriors veteran Draymond Green, who is also represented by Paul and close with James and Davis, declined his $27.7 million player option for this season to give Golden State flexibility to pursue James in free agency and Davis via trade.
However, James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers.
The Warriors signed Green to a one-year, $27.7 million deal after James joined Philadelphia. They also added Brandon Williams, Georges Niang and Yaxel Lendeborg.
Stephen Curry signed a two-year, $116 million extension with the Warriors this offseason. The guard was eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million extension, but Curry took a pay cut to give the Dubs financial flexibility.
“This is home,” Curry said at Warriors media day. “This is what we’ve built. This is a community that I’ve played in front of my entire career. Being able to finish the story the right way is a big part of what I can control.”
