Who said Jimmy Butler would be an easy catch just because Miami is considering his exit? Acquiring the 6x All-Star forward means giving out $50.3 million in the upcoming season. And currently, the Golden State Warriors might not be in the position to do so. Even if they give up the likes of Draymond Green it still would be difficult to maintain Butler with his hefty contract. Therefore, the Dubs might have already found a smarter option. But, who?

The Chicago Bulls (that happens to be Jimmy Butler’s ex-team) center Nikola Vucevic is reportedly on the Warriors’ radar. He could be a potential and more sensible trade target ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. According to The Athletic: “Nikola Vucevic has actually emerged as the more discussed Warriors’ trade target, according to team and league sources.” Most importantly, Vooch makes $20 million this season and $21.4 million next season (total $41.4M). This is a lot more feasible than Butler’s current $48 million and $50.3 million in 2025-26.

The Warriors front office and coaches are back to the drawing board at training camp. The mission? Find a real stretch center—something Stephen Curry’s never truly had. Enter Nikola Vucevic, hitting 44% of his nearly five threes per game and dropping 20.3 points. The Montenegrin star has proven to be more reliable this season than Jimmy Butler has been for the Miami Heat. Besides, Butler’s 7-game suspension is just adding to the negative light he’s been in for a while now.

Now, imagine this: Draymond Green covering his back on defense, while Vucevic spreads the floor for Curry, Wiggins, and Kuminga to cook. It’s a space-making dream waiting to happen. Moreover, the hoopster is signed with the Chicago Bulls through the 2025-26 campaign, meaning he is neither a rental nor a long-term investment.

Meanwhile, there is a bigger more important picture behind tailing Vooch and not Jimmy Butler. Keeping in mind the monetary scenario with the Dubs, every step needs to be measured. And yes, Nikola Vucevic wouldn’t be a pressure on Joe Lacob’s pocket.

Signing Nikola Vucevic instead of Jimmy Butler would be a very mindful decision for the Warriors

The price tag is the main player in the bidding wars the Bay Area is willing to enter. As mentioned before Nikola Vucevic is making $20 million this season and will receive $21.4 million the next. Meanwhile, this value becomes twice a burden when it comes to Jimmy Butler who earns $48 million now and will receive $50.3 million next season. So, getting the 35-year-old forward from Miami would be a bigger and more complicated task for the Dubs front office. It might also involve sending Draymond Green or Andrew Wiggins away thus heavily shaking up the roster. In Vooch’s case, this won’t happen.

Anthony Slater added to his report: “The Warriors have several small-scale contracts that could get to his number — while sticking below that first apron and not gutting the top-end of their rotation. Gary Payton II is on a $9.1 million expiring. Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson are at $8.7 million. Kevon Looney is at $8 million flat.” 

Say: Combine Payton’s $9.1M with Anderson’s $8.7M and toss in Lindy Waters III’s $2.2M. Boom—you’re just over Vucevic’s $20M. Now the fun part: figuring out the draft picks to seal the deal. Vooch brings the goods, but he won’t drain the asset vault.

Thus unlike Jimmy Butler, Nikola Vucevic isn’t a blister on the Golden State Warriors‘ wallets. Besides, the latter checks all the boxes—affordable, reliable, and a perfect fit. Thus leaving the whole Butler situation in dilemma all over again. Risking the aprons and massively stirring the roster might not be the right move for them. So, let’s wait and watch what happens next.