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The Jimmy Butler saga is finally, and mercifully, over.
The Miami Heat have reportedly traded him to the Golden State Warriors as part of a five-team deal, with the Warriors giving up Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Lindy Watters III, Kyle Anderson and a protected first-round pick, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Many of the players listed above won’t be heading to Miami, however:
Butler also landed a lucrative contract extension as part of the arrangement, per Shams:
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
New Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler has agreed to a new two-year, $121 million extension with the franchise through 2026-27, sources tell me and <a href=”https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@WindhorstESPN</a>. Butler is declining his 2025-26 player option for this new $121M deal.
And so ends what had become an epic, and tiresome, showdown between the Heat and Butler that included fines, indefinite suspensions and enough trade rumors to last a lifetime.
But now Butler will be joining Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as the Dubs look to resurrect their title hopes, with social media offering a wide array of responses to the blockbuster deal:
Steve Jones Jr. @stevejones20
Well, the Warriors got Jimmy. Him as a screener, cutter, post player will be interesting. Wonder how the usage goes but I get the swing. Miami has some added depth, I think those guys fit what Miami likes to do. <a href=”https://t.co/gMAsWAuixJ”>https://t.co/gMAsWAuixJ</a>
Art Stapleton @art_stapleton
I don’t have an NFL comp for the Jimmy Butler trade, and I really don’t have an in-depth idea of what Golden State’s roster looks like, but I know this: <br><br>Trying to close out Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler late in close playoff games is not going to be easy for anyone.
The Warriors are a fascinating team.
On the one hand, they desperately needed a true No. 2 option on offense behind Curry, and Butler is more than capable of scratching that itch. He’ll provide solid secondary playmaking and defense, and his experience in the playoffs—and his shot-making in the clutch—will make the Warriors dangerous in late-game scenarios, given Curry’s proficiency in those moments as well.
But there are some potential fit issues. Green has traditionally been the secondary playmaker for this offense, a role that should shift more to Butler. There are also some floor-spacing concerns, given that Butler isn’t a natural catch-and-shoot player, and Green’s issues from the perimeter are well known. And both Butler and Green are fiery personalities, so there are some vibe questions to be answered as well.
But the Warriors needed to take a gamble with Curry’s prime years dwindling, and Butler is an improvement over the players they gave up. Whether it’s enough to catapult the team into contender status remains to be seen.