Why Analyst's Jimmy Butler Trade Target Ranking Is Spot On

The Golden State Warriors have shown virtually no appetite for trading Jimmy Butler (despite some rumors a couple months ago), but that doesn't mean he won't be on the block later this season.

Butler's outlook is complicated. He's on a $56.8 million expiring contract. He's recovering from a torn ACL and might not return until February.

Some teams will look at those facts and have no interest in Butler. But I suspect at least a few teams would have want him if the Dubs dangle him.

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley ranked the NBA's top 10 trade targets on Friday. The way he structured the ranking was a) only including players who have a reasonable chance of being traded this season and then b) sorting those players based on perceived trade value.

He had Butler ranked 10th on that list.

Here, I go over why I agree with a) Buckley's decision to consider Butler a plausible trade candidate as well as b) his decision to rank him 10th.

Why Butler Is a Plausible Trade Target

Buckley touched on why Butler could be traded this season.

"Butler's market is murky given his age (37 this month) and availability issues, but he could appeal both to clubs looking to free up cap space ahead of 2027 free agency and those eyeing a potential midseason lift from a six-time All-Star with some dynamic playoff runs on his resume."

Like Buckley says, rebuilding teams and contenders could have interest in Butler for entirely different reasons.

The Warriors' Plan A is to stay in the playoff race with Butler out and then make a second-half push when Butler returns.

But there are a number of ways this plan could get derailed.

The obvious one is that the Warriors are out of the playoff race by the trade deadline. If that's the case, they could be looking to deal Butler for any future draft capital.

Another scenario is that Butler's rehab is going slower than expected and the Warriors are exceeding expectations. In this hypothetical, they could look to trade Butler and draft capital to a rebuilding team for win-now pieces.

Why Butler's Trade Ranking Is Spot On

If Butler returns at the level he was playing in 2025-26, he'd deserve to easily rank in the top five of Buckley's list.

But any suitor has to weigh the risk of trading for a 37-year-old rehabbing from a torn ACL.

Will he play back-to-backs? Will he have a minutes limit? Will he have lost a step of explosiveness?

Butler is such a smart, versatile player that I imagine teams will have interest in him regardless of these questions.

With that said, it makes sense that Buckley has Michael Porter Jr., Trey Murphy III and Jarrett Allen higher on the list.

Their combination of being much younger and having better recent health track records make them more valuable trade assets.

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