Butler says he wouldn't blame Golden State for making a move, but he's confident the team can win if he stays healthy.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler has been through this before.
The six-time All-Star has already been traded three times in his career, bouncing from the Bulls to the Timberwolves and then to the 76ers before a messy exit from the Heat brought him to Golden State last February.
So when offseason trade rumors started building again, Butler wasn't exactly caught off guard.
In a recent interview with ESPN's Anthony Slater, Butler addressed the speculation directly.
"You talking about being traded?" Butler said. "It wouldn't be the first time. [But] it's good to know that I'm wanted here."
Trade Talk Won't Go Away
The Warriors finished the 2025-26 season at 37-45 and missed the playoffs after falling in the Play-In Tournament.
Stephen Curry still averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds at 38 years old, but the roster around him wasn't good enough.
General manager Mike Dunleavy has been working the phones looking for upgrades, and the Warriors have been linked to a potential trade for Kawhi Leonard among other targets.
Butler's $56.8 million expiring contract would almost certainly need to be part of any major deal.
Butler didn't shy away from that reality.
"If I get traded, I get traded," Butler told ESPN. "Their job is to win. Can I help them do that? Yes. If they feel like somebody else can help them do that on a quicker timetable than whenever I come back, then they got to go and do that."
What Butler Brings When Healthy
Before tearing his ACL on January 19 against Miami, Butler was having one of his better seasons, putting up 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 51.9 percent from the field across 38 games.
The Warriors went 23-15 in games he started, and dating back to his arrival from the Heat, the team is 46-22 with him on the floor.
His scoring and two-way presence alongside Curry is a big part of why Butler still sees himself as part of the answer.
He told Slater he wants to retire as a Warrior.
"As of right now, I'm here," Butler said. "I don't take that for granted. I'm grateful, but if I'm going to be here whenever I get back, we're going to be just fine."
The biggest decision facing Golden State this summer is whether it can wait for Butler to return, with his comeback expected around February, or whether it needs to move his contract to bring in someone who can play right away.
The Warriors already drafted Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11 and are trying to add pieces, but a deal for another star would likely need Butler's salary as the centerpiece.
Butler has never been someone who forces his way into staying somewhere, and he seems willing to take that approach again now.
With the Warriors weighing every move while the Curry era winds down, the 36-year-old is betting on his rehab and hoping a healthy return will say more than any trade package could.
