Warriors Trade Intel: Most recently about their persecution of Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant

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Two large pieces of NBA trading business were conducted over the weekend involving five teams and four Marquee names – Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox and Zach Lavine – changing locations. The Golden State Warriors, perhaps the team that most needs a significant addition, set it out.

Dončić and Davis were never available to them. Fox was always directed to San Antonio. Lavine is the only one of the four that was on their realistic radar and for some in the organization a preferred goal rather than Jimmy Butler. But those who draw the ultimate handles at the top (Mike Dunleavy, Joe Lacob, Kirk Lacob), chose to let the upscut avalanche option pass to pursue high ambitions.

Not long after ESPNS connected Brian Windhorst reported it “Butler has communicated to Warriors that he is not willing to sign an extension there, and therefore the trade negotiations are to send him to Golden State has ended for now.”

The “for now” aspect of this report was clarified by team and league. There are still three days until the trade deadline, an eternity in this transaction window. Warriors believe they are still stuck in the mixture of butler or another of the league’s star Dominos who could overturn as part of the Butler transaction or once it is resolved, says Team Sources.

Butler has long preferred Phoenix as his next destination, confirmed league parties, partly because of a waiting expansion offer that is longer and more lucrative than a warriors would be willing to make – if they offer a one at all. Miami’s unwillingness to give Butler a great extension is the core of the dispute that led to his accessibility. But Phoenix Suns has been firm because of Bradley Beal’s heavy contract and attached clause of trade. If they can’t find Beal a new home before Thursday afternoon, they won’t be able to add butler while holding Devin booker and Kevin Durant, their final goal.

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An inability to acquire Butler has many in the league who speculate in Durant’s future in Phoenix. He has not signed a contract extension beyond next season, giving him an extra level of control of his future.

That’s what made Friday night’s court scene in the Chase Center remarkable.

The Golden State owner Joe Lacob sits in the first row opposite Warriors’ bench and often hosts guests in the two seats next to him. Against Suns, he had Rich Kleiman-Durant’s long-time agent and business partner plant directly to the left. The two were seen talking during the game and were discovered together at the break and postgame in the Bridge Club, an exclusive lounge in the abdomen of the arena between home and visitors changing rooms.

Kleiman and Warriors’ decision makers have a long history dating back to Durant’s famous free agency process in Hamptons back in the summer of 2016. Former General Manager Bob Myers was a central figure in locking this deal. Myers happened to announce Warriors-Suns games at ESPN on Friday night and was discovered that he entered the Bridge Club Postgame.

Warriors, said league bounds, have asked about Durant’s availability, like Jake Fischer reported Monday morning. But it is unclear how Open Durant would be for a Warriors gene association, and whether Suns, if backed up in a corner, would even be willing to pull the trigger of a durant movement during this transaction cycle.

Much of this will be tied to Butler’s future, Miami’s motives, Beal’s burdensome contract and Durant’s reaction to it all. If Warriors want to land a big fish in the next few days to pair with Stephen Curry, it looks like their best leverage is patience and the threatening deadline 6 February. Of course, it comes with risk – Suns could theoretically find a Beal -Frier – and potential unanswered opportunities, such as avalanche.

But Dunleavy put the team’s motifs on his press conference for the forecast back in October, after declining to unload the activity to Utah’s Lauri Markkanen because he felt it would only make sense if Warriors also added Paul George, who signed with 76ers instead .

“There is no sense in going everything to be a little over average,” Dunleavy said.

Warriors have maintained a willingness to take their star hunting for the summer, if necessary, but Curry’s basketball ticking is ticking (he will be 37 next month), and All-Stars fly around the trading market at a bigger rate than expected this week.

(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images))