Sources: Butler traded from Heat to Warriors, to ink new deal
Jimmy Butler’s time with the Miami Heat came to an end on Wednesday night when he was traded to the Golden State Warriors in a blockbuster multiteam deal, according to ESPN sources.
The Warriors finalized the trade for Jimmy Butler after talks to acquire Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant fell through when Durant informed them he had no interest in returning to Golden State, sources said. The Warriors, Heat, and Suns were close to a deal that would have sent Butler to Phoenix and brought Durant back to the team where he won championships in 2017 and 2018.
As part of the deal, Butler will forgo his $52 million player option for next season and intends to sign a new two-year contract worth $111 million, extending through the 2026-27 season, sources said.
The Warriors will trade forwards Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, along with a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, to the Heat, sources said. Additionally, guard Dennis Schroder, who joined the Warriors in December, will be sent to the Utah Jazz. Utah, in turn, will send forward P.J. Tucker—who previously played for Miami in the 2021-22 season—back to the Heat. Meanwhile, guard Lindy Waters III will move from Golden State to the Detroit Pistons, and Josh Richardson will be traded from Miami to Detroit.
Heat forward Nikola Jovic referred to Butler as his “brother” and expressed that he and many of his teammates would miss him.
“He meant a lot to this franchise,” Jovic said about Butler. “He helped me tremendously, and I’m not sure I’d be here without him. It’s a mix of emotions—I’m sad that we won’t see him anymore, but at the same time, I’m happy he got what he wanted.”
There were several other details of the trade that the teams were still finalizing on Wednesday night.
The deal was agreed upon while the Heat were facing the 76ers in Philadelphia and the Pistons were playing the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr held a team meeting to notify the players just before Golden State’s game against the Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The Warriors, who were seeking another star before the deadline, have now acquired six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Although Wiggins was the team’s second-highest scorer with 17.6 points per game and one of its top defenders against guards and larger forwards, Butler is expected to be an upgrade.
The Warriors have been in urgent need of a reliable second scorer to take some of the pressure off Curry, particularly during crunch time. Butler has averaged over 20 points per game in each of the four seasons leading up to this one. Alongside Green, he is expected to create a strong defensive partnership for Coach Kerr.
Wiggins completed his pregame warmup before the Jazz game, and as he headed back to the locker room, he was met by an assistant coach, a Warriors security guard, and Curry, who greeted him with a handshake. Once he reached his locker, a few players came over to shake his hand.
Shortly after, the Warriors’ locker room was closed to the media during the usual availability so that Kerr could speak to the team. Players, including Curry, who was on the court warming up, were called back into the locker room for the private meeting.
Around 15 minutes later, Kerr left the locker room with his head down, and Curry returned to the court to continue his warmup.
A few weeks ago, Kerr and Curry expressed that they didn’t want the Warriors organization to make any “desperate” trades that would jeopardize the team’s future in an effort to win this season. Kerr reiterated this sentiment about 30 minutes before speaking to the team privately.
“I feel the same way: don’t do anything reckless,” Kerr said. “We’re not in that position. It’s important for every organization to understand where they stand and assess the situation before considering the options. Draymond, Steph, and I have discussed this privately, as well as with [Warriors general manager] Mike [Dunleavy Jr.]. We have a responsibility to the organization to make the right decisions and not push for a reckless trade that could risk the next 10 years.”
In line with Kerr’s view, the Warriors kept young prospects Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, two players they were hesitant to trade last summer when they explored deals for Lauri Markkanen and Paul George.
While Golden State did lose some depth that Kerr had praised all season, the team entered their game against Utah in 10th place in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the blockbuster deal concludes a drawn-out divorce between Butler and the Heat.
Miami suspended Butler three times this season—twice for conduct deemed harmful to the team and once after he missed a team flight. His latest suspension started on January 27 after he left the shootaround upon learning he would be coming off the bench for the next game. The Heat declared the suspension indefinite, lasting at least five games, which extended until Thursday’s deadline.
Butler has not played since January 21.
The strained departure appeared inevitable last offseason when team president Pat Riley stated that the Heat had no plans to extend Butler this season. Butler has a history of turbulent exits, having previously pushed his way out of the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Heat had occasionally questioned the 35-year-old’s effort this season. Butler’s average of 17.0 points per game is the lowest of his career since his third year in the league.
His time with Miami appeared to be an ideal match, as Butler’s determined attitude aligned well with the franchise’s “Heat Culture.” Over six seasons in South Beach, Butler guided the Heat to the playoffs in each of his first five years, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals appearances. He earned two All-Star selections and made three All-NBA appearances during his tenure with the Heat.
Butler will return to Miami on March 25 when the Warriors play the Heat.
“Our biggest challenge right now is consistency,” said guard Tyler Herro, commenting on the team adjusting to Butler’s departure. “It’s about knowing your role every night, and of course, avoiding injuries is part of that clarity and consistency. Right now, we’re just working to get everything aligned and continue building good days, which will lead us to consistency.”\
Following the trade news, the Warriors’ chances of winning the NBA championship improved, with their odds moving from +4000 to +3300, according to ESPN BET. Their odds for the Western Conference title went from +3000 to +2000, while their odds for the Pacific Division title shifted from +1800 to +1200.
This report was contributed by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
Related
