Warriors acquire Jimmy Butler in massive trade
After weeks of internal turmoil with the Miami Heat, star forward Jimmy Butler finally has a new NBA home with the Golden State Warriors.
Butler headlined a massive five-team deal that centered on him heading to the Warriors while Golden State parted with Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters III, along with a 2025 top-10 protected first-round selection.
“I got a feeling I’m [going to] be back, in a big way, too,” he said via ESPN. “So I’m smiling. I’ve been going at it, I’ve been training, I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to be doing. I know that I have my joy back now. I’m in a different situation, different group of guys.”
Butler joins the Warriors along with agreeing to a two-year, $121 million extension that runs through the 2026-27 season after declining his roughly $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign.
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Butler played well in his first game, helping the Warriors move past the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. He put together a highly efficient performance with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including going 11-of-13 from the free throw.
After the game, head coach Stever Kerr underlined Butler’s immediate impact in his new setting.
“I’m most impressed with his passing,” Kerr said via ESPN. “His passing changes everything. … The skill, the strength, the ability to get to the free throw line.
“And in the end, it goes beyond that. Just his presence out there. He’s a lion. He’s a force.”
Butler will figure to play a massive role in the Warriors’ playoff push. Golden State currently sits at a 26-26 record, tied with the Phoenix Suns for the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings.
