Jimmy Butler Sets Record Straight on Why He Wanted Suns Over Warriors

Jimmy Butler finally set the record straight on why he initially pushed for a trade to the Phoenix Suns instead of the Golden State Warriors.

It was not about the money.

But “because he was more familiar with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Tyus Jones, his former teammate in Minnesota,” according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“I wasn’t skeptical of coming here,” Butler told Slater. “I just didn’t talk to anybody.”

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Substack on January 5 that Butler was initially fixated on getting to Phoenix because its owner, “Mat Ishbia is believed to be as willing to sign the 35-year-old to a lucrative new contract as anyone you’ll find.”

Butler refuted the report.

“I knew I was going to get this contract no matter what,” he told Slater. “The people keep talking about it being about the money. How can it be about the money when any team that traded for me, what were they going to do? I just want to win. Where can I go to win?”

The Warriors, after initially balking at the Butler trade cost and getting rebuffed by Durant, proceeded with the trade and quickly signed the six-time NBA All-Star to a two-year, $111 million extension that will run through the 2026-27 season.

Their gamble on Butler is paying off big time as the Warriors have turned their season around. They have gone 16-4 since the Butler trade (16-3 with Butler in the lineup) to move from 11th to sixth seed in the loaded Western Conference.

With his financial future secured, a motivated Butler has averaged 17.6 points, 6.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals for the Warriors.

What Makes Jimmy Butler a Max Player

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who was Butler’s teammate in Chicago was instrumental in convincing the ownership and the major stakeholders of the team that Butler is worth all the money and the troubles.

“The paying part to me is really easy because basketball-wise, he’s that good,” Dunleavy told Slater. “With Jimmy, you can see the way he elevates his teammates. That intangible is what makes you a max player.”

The Warriors’ record with Butler speaks for itself.

Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have been rejuvenated since the trade. Butler has often been credited by role players such as Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos for their improved play during this Warriors’ surge in the standings.

“I’m not going to pretend to predict the future of how all this is going to play out,’ Dunleavy continued. “But I do have a comfort level in who he is. I’ve been a teammate of his and I understand what makes him tick.”

The Perfect Coach to Handle Quirky Personalities

Butler is enjoying the freedom the Warriors are giving him about his off-court schedule which the Heat despised in the months leading up to their messy breakup.

And who else is better equipped to handle Butler’s quirkiness than Golden State coach Steve Kerr?

Kerr has handled big personalities well from Green to DeMarcus Cousins to Chris Paul. He’s learned from Phil Jackson’s approach to the eccentric Dennis Rodman during the Bulls’ second three-peat in the 1990s.

“We welcome personal quirkiness and individualism, and I think guys always feel a sense of freedom here,” Kerr told Slater. “I told Jimmy that from Day 1. I said, ‘You be you.’”

And Butler has been himself, impacting winning to get the Warriors back on their feet.

“We need him, and he needs us,” Kerr told Slater. “I think it’s perfect timing for his arrival.”

Indeed.

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