It has been widely acknowledged that the Golden State Warriors have been looking for another star player since the offseason. Not making a move for Lauri Markkanen or Paul George this summer, Golden State brought back all of its assets and young players in the hopes of completing a better deal at the trade deadline.

The Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler has been the most prominent figure in recent NBA trade speculations, and the Warriors have been linked to him. According to multiple reports, including one from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Golden State is one of the teams Butler would welcome a trade to.

While the Warriors would certainly benefit from adding a six-time NBA All-Star like Butler, doing so is difficult, especially under the league’s new CBA.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Golden State is hesitant to include Andrew Wiggins in a deal for Butler, which would almost certainly be necessary for financial purposes.

Siegel reported: “Right off the bat, Andrew Wiggins would need to be included in any structure of a Butler deal, which is something the Warriors are not sold on, sources said. Wiggins has been a huge part of the team’s core since arriving during the 2019-20 season, and the former first-overall pick is having arguably his best season since Golden State won their last title in 2022.”

Wiggins has been playing well for Golden State, and while he is not the player Butler is, there Warriors have a championship-proven formula with him playing at an All-Star level. That of course came back in 2022 when Wiggins and other key Warriors role players were playing at a high level around Steph Curry, which is why it’s reasonable to question if Golden State should expect that same outcome again three years later.