The Jimmy Butler saga in Miami and the Golden State Warriors‘ quest for a star ended on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in a massive multi-team blockbuster trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
The Warriors gave up Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters III and their top-10 protected first-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire Butler from the Miami Heat.
Immediately after finalizing the trade, Butler agreed to decline his $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and sign a new two-year, $121 million extension that will run through the 2026-27 season when he turns 37.
The Heat are re-routing Schröder to the Utah Jazz in exchange for veteran forward PJ Tucker, who reunites with the Heat, according to Charania. Waters and Heat’s Josh Richardson will go to Detroit as part of the expanded trade. Both the Jazz and the Pistons are also getting future second-round picks for facilitating the complicated deal.
Golden State was one of Butler’s four preferred destinations, which included Phoenix and the two Texas teams — Houston and Dallas. But three days ago, a Butler trade looked bleak for the Warriors when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the 35-year-old star was not interested in signing an extension with the Warriors as he focused on getting to Phoenix.
The Warriors pivoted off Butler and pursued a reunion with Suns star Kevin Durant. However, their interest wasn’t mutual. Durant did not want to return to Golden State, Charania earlier reported.
The Warriors quickly moved on and zeroed in on Butler. It is a massive coup for the Warriors, who were able to keep Jonathan Kuminga from being included in the deal. The Warriors were unwilling to surrender both Wiggins and Kuminga in the early phase of their trade talks.
‘Playoff Jimmy’ Joins Forces with Steph Curry
With Butler, the Warriors found their second star to pair with Stephen Curry in their bid to give him another title shot at 36.
The six-time All-Star will be Curry’s best co-star since Durant in their back-to-back championship runs in 2017 and 2018.
Dubbed “Playoff Jimmy” for his penchant for playing big games during the postseason, Butler has led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances and three Eastern Conference Final berths during his six seasons in Miami. He averaged 24.1 points, 8.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds in 11 games across his two Finals stints.
The blockbuster trade ends the tumultuous divorce between Butler and the Heat that has engulfed the NBA over the last two months.
Butler will provide the Warriors a different dimension with his midrange shooting and a strong two-way game.
Golden State ranks last in free throws and Butler, who averages 5.6 free throws made per game throughout his career, will instantly give them a boost in that department.
Can Jimmy Butler Help Warriors Back into Contention?
That is the question begging for answer with Butler’s move to the West which came four days after the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks swapped their stars — Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis.
Currently occupying the 10th seed in a loaded Western Conference, the Warriors now have a new Big Three in Curry, Butler and Draymond Green.
While Curry and Butler will be the fulcrum of the Warrior’s offense, Butler will also help Green anchor the teams’ defense as they try to turn their fortunes around and get back to playoff contention.
The Warriors now have a mix of veteran stars and young players to compete in the West where the top three teams — Thunder, Grizzlies and Rockets — do not have much playoff experience.
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