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How Does Jimmy Butler Plan to Fit With Stephen Curry?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Lance Roberson | Last updated Feb 7, 2025 2:45 PM ET

Stephen Curry's archetype complements players who like facilitating the offense and playing point guard. In the blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors received a player who could ease Curry's ball-handling pressure. During the Warriors' introductory press conference for Butler, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP revealed a simple plan to fit Curry.

Butler, who moved mountains to join the Warriors and receive a two-year, $121 million contract extension, doesn't require a majority of a team's offense to influence wins. During the Miami Heat's two NBA finals runs with Butler, the Swiss-army knife star produced 13 shots per game.

Curry is the star, the main event, the guy in Golden State, which Butler understands.

When a reporter asked Butler how he would fit in with Curry, the Warriors wing kept it simple: "Pass the ball to Steph and get out the way.”

While Butler's answer was funny and, in a way, likely the best plan, the Warriors need the two-way star's output to a grander degree.

Without Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors will miss their best wing defender, as Draymond Green is still elite but understandably not as strong as in prior seasons. Butler isn't the same defender as in previous years, but he can still hold down the fort for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

Yet, for as necessary as defense is, Butler's activity, moreso his aggression levels, means more regarding ascending the Warriors in the contender tier. Butler's brightest moments come from when he took the reigns and scored the ball above expectations.

Butler's 2020 NBA Finals performance in Game 3, in which he scored 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, alludes to the destruction he can cause for opponents.

However, at 35, perhaps it's unfair to expect such numbers from Butler. Nonetheless, his dominance proves the Big Face Coffee owner can influence the game more than "giving Curry the ball and getting out of the way," as he jokingly said.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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