Entering the closing stage of the regular season, all the immortals began to show their talents, especially the teams in the West. Some began to play the script kill, some acted as the Lakers, and after each immortal operation, the Warriors, who currently let everyone care the most, ranked sixth in the West with a 40-37 record, the Lakers ranked 8th in the West with 38-38, and the Lone Ranger fell to 11th in the West with 37-40. The script is not over yet, and there will be a big change in the rankings until the end of this season, so let's wait and see.
The Lakers are eyeing to go further in the playoffs this season, while the Warriors are hoping to defend their title this season in preparation for next season's adjustments. So far, the team has not had an exact time for Wiggins' return, which undoubtedly makes them very passive this season and even next season, Wiggins' role in the team is undoubted, the playoffs are definitely entrusted with the task of defending opponents, and now; There is no return date yet, and what adjustments should Cole make in the playoffs to ensure that the Splash Brothers are not affected on the offensive end. It is also revealed that if the Warriors cannot defend their title this season and there is no consensus on the renewal of multiple players, there will be a lot of adjustments next season.
According to the famous American media "NBA Analysis", the biggest reason for the serious decline of the Warriors' record this season is that the defense is too bad, and the management is ready to trade tough Butler in the offseason, which can help the team improve the defensive ability of the outside, and secondly, the Warriors will still be a strong contender for the championship next season and can also help Butler achieve the championship to the greatest extent. A 12-year career split between the Bulls, Timberwolves, 76ers and Heat, four teams have yet to win a championship.
The specific plan is for the Warriors to send Poole, Kuminga, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Heat to exchange for Butler, who is in his prime. Butler, 33, completed an early contract extension with the Heat in 2021 for 3 years and $146 million, and his contract expires in 2026; but the Heat's performance in the past two seasons has not been satisfactory, even with the current record of 40-37 and ranking 7th in the East with a strong player such as Butler, Adebayo and Hiro, the management has thought about rebuilding; Once this step is taken, Butler and others will be traded for a large number of potential players and draft picks. The Warriors' offer was more sincere, with Poole averaging 20.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 43 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range.
Butler averaged 22.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals this season, shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. But Poole has conflicts with Green and management, like a time bomb that does not know when it will detonate like thunder; Butler, on the other hand, is an upgraded version of Poole, which can not only surprise both offensive and defensive, reduce the pressure on the offensive end of the Splash Brothers, but also reduce the pressure on Green's defense on the outside; More importantly, Butler is more calm and stable at key moments, which Poole cannot match.
If the deal is reached, Cole is expected to be woken up by laughing when he falls asleep, and directly put out the starting five Tigers lineup with Curry, Thompson, Green, Wiggins, and Butler, and next season at least in the league can go sideways, do you think Butler is suitable for the Warriors?