The Golden State Warriors have finally landed an All-Star talent to partner with Stephen Curry. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Mike Dunleavy Jr. struck a deal to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson and a protected first-round pick were all part of the deal.
Speaking to the media during his postgame press conference shortly after the trade, Curry shared his thoughts on the team’s latest addition.
“I know there was a lot of drama down there (in Miami),” Curry said. “Who really knows what the story is. We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy, that’s ready to impact our team for the better…I’m excited to get to work. And kind of feed off the energy of something new and somebody that has experience at the highest levels…I text him at halftime.”
Curry’s comments came after the Warriors dropped their 25th game of the season. They lost to the Utah Jazz 131-128. By acquiring Butler, Golden State has consolidated some of its roster, removing multiple role players from the rotation. Before his trade request, Butler was averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He was shooting 54% from the field and 36.1% from deep.
Warriors Sign Butler to Contract Extension
Almost immediately after Butler’s trade was announced, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Butler had signed a two-year $121 million contract extension. The veteran forward declined his player option next season to get the deal over the line.
Butler will now earn approximately $60.5 million for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. Now, he must prove that he can slot into Steve Kerr’s motion-based offense and fit next to Curry and Draymond Green. Butler will bring rim pressure and playmaking from the forward position. The Warriors have been missing an aggressive scorer in recent years.
It will be interesting to see if Jonathan Kuminga is now consigned to a bench role following Butler’s arrival.
Warriors Previously Had Concerns on Butler’s Fit
In a Jan. 30 episode of ‘The Kevin O’Connor Show’ podcast, Yahoo Sport’s Kevin O’Connor reported that both Curry and Kerr had reservations about adding Butler via trade.
“My league sources say that Stephen Curry, specifically, has concerns about Jimmy Butler’s fit in the locker room,” O’Connor said. “And Steve Kerr shares those feelings. So, Golden State’s indecision about trading for Butler seems to be largely tied to Steph and Kerr’s worries about a personality fit…It should surprise nobody if the Warriors end up holding onto their pieces and waiting for the summer.”
Clearly, those reservations haven’t held the front office back from making a deal. Now, all eyes will be on how Butler acclimates to his new surroundings. If the Warriors can build around him and Curry, there should be no reason for Butler to become disgruntled. We saw some of the veteran’s best performances when the Heat were competitive.
Golden State will now be hoping that they’ve done enough work on the roster to help them improve their current standing in the Western Conference. The Warriors are three games behind the LA Clippers who sit in the sixth seed.
The battle for playoff spots is about to heat up in a loaded West.
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