Jimmy Butler Eyes NBA Championship With Rebooted Warriors

Yet, the Warriors also still have two key pillars that defined their championship run.

The Warriors have Stephen Curry, whom Butler dubbed “the greatest shooter in the world and greatest shooter in history.” For the first time since Durant’s departure, Curry will soon have a dependable scorer by his side who can relieve himself from double teams.

“Being able to utilize the space that I can create with the gravity, that’s a two-way street,” Curry said. “I have to be able to help him. He has to be able to help me. When the game slows down, he’s a guy you have to worry about. You might have to send a double to him in the post and take advantage of mismatches.”

The Warriors also have Draymond Green, whom Golden State has kept because the team believes his defensive versatility and intensity still outweigh his erratic outbursts toward officials and select teammates.

Jimmy Butler 2024-25 stats

“We need that type of fire,” Green said of Butler. “So definitely looking forward to him bringing his toughness, his leadership and his scoring ability.”

Lastly, the Warriors acquired what Dunleavy dubbed an “elite two-way player” and “one of the best of the league.” Butler earned the nickname “Jimmy Buckets” for his competitiveness and clutch performances. So can Butler serve as the Warriors’ missing championship piece?

“The playoffs are different. It’s almost a different sport in some ways. So we’re getting a guy who is a proven playoff performer,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “So I like the idea that we’re healthy, we can put it together and give ourselves a chance. And I think Jimmy, we can see what he can do. You don’t have a nickname like that for nothing. That’s the whole point. Let’s see what we can put together.”

The Warriors also made this win-now move without mortgaging their future. They dealt a valued two-way player (Andrew Wiggins), a struggling playmaker (Dennis Schröder), a dependable wing (Kyle Anderson), a young prospect (Lindy Waters III) and a protected first-round pick. The Warriors still salvaged their young core (Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody) and three first-round picks (2028, 2029, 2031).

“That was the key to the deal was that we didn’t trade all our picks going forward,” Kerr said. “So this accomplishes two things. It gives us a chance here in the next couple of years with Steph, Draymond and Jimmy together. But it keeps our future assets intact. That was important to the organization. It was important to Steph and me. We didn’t want to do anything crazy. This was a way to raise our ceiling but preserve our future.”

Butler clearly didn’t have a future in Miami.

Last month, Butler said he “lost his joy” with the Heat and sounded frustrated with a reduced role. The Heat also declined to grant Butler an extension when he was first eligible last fall amid concerns about the 35-year-old’s durability. Despite still having a $51 million player option for the 2025-26 season, Butler told Heat president Pat Riley that he wanted a trade. Before and after the meeting, Butler served three multi-game suspensions. Those included missing a team flight and leaving a shootaround early after learning he lost his starting job.

Jimmy Butler career stats

Butler conceded that he felt unwanted “maybe at times.” But he declined to specify what triggered his desire to leave, which could have included frustrations about the extension and his role.

“I’m straight. I don’t got too many bad things to say about them,” Butler said. “I don’t. They gave me an opportunity. I felt like I did my job to the highest level. I have so much respect for that organization for the people that’s running the organization and my former teammates. I’ll always wish them the best.”

Butler also didn’t sound contrite on whether he harbored any regrets. “Only one. I just opened my coffee shop in Miami. And I can’t go there no more,” Butler said. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to get one in San Fran.”

Butler and the Warriors have more pressing concerns than when and where Butler will open his next shop. Kerr, Butler and Dunleavy all projected that Butler will make his debut with the Warriors (25-26) when they play at the Chicago Bulls (22-30) on Saturday. It’s fitting since Butler started his NBA career there (2011-17) and morphed from the No. 30 overall pick into a star before playing stints in Minnesota (2017-18), Philadelphia (2018-19) and Miami (2019-25). Though Butler’s previous stops lasted shorter than expected after clashing with either teammates or coaches, the Warriors don’t expect that turbulence.

That’s partly because the Warriors agreed to sign Butler to a two-year, $121 million extension shortly after the trade. That extension coincides with the same contract length for Curry and Green.

“I’m not going to say that was a big part, but I am happy about it,” Butler said. “I am happy about it. I think the biggest part was just getting me to be able to play basketball again. I just want to be out there and do what I’ve been doing for a very long time, have fun and smile and rip and run and not feel like I’m just doing cardio the majority of the game. So I’m very, very happy that I’m not getting suspended no more.”

The Warriors anticipate dealing with some minor issues with Butler. Kerr predicted a learning curve with figuring out the right combinations with Butler in the starting lineup and when to stagger his minutes without Curry so that Butler can oversee the offense. To offset Wiggins’ absence, Kerr also likely will call on Butler to defend the opposing team’s top player.

“All great players figure out how to play with other great players. So I’m not too worried about him fitting in with his teammates,” Kerr said. “We just have to simplify the actions that we run, just make sure we’re letting him settle in with a few different things we run with good spacing and let him play basketball. I don’t think that will be too big of a challenge.”

Butler also doesn’t sense any challenges with his rust or conditioning despite playing in only five games since Dec. 20.

“I’m at a really good place mentally. This mini, mini break that I didn’t want, but I had throughout the year I spent more time with my kids and more time with my loved ones,” Butler said. “I’m in shape. I’m ready to go. I’ve been training. I’ve been running up and down, laughing, smiling and having fun. But now I get to do one of the things that I love more than anything. And that’s to compete.”

The Warriors like their chances for a simple reason. Curry and Green won four NBA championships in six NBA Finals appearances (2015-19, 2022). Meanwhile, Butler guided the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals twice before losing in six games to the Lakers (2020) and in five games to the Denver Nuggets (2023). Butler said he likes “to call myself a winner” since he helped the Heat overachieve as a fifth seed (2020) and an eighth seed (2023).

“They always play winning basketball, and they’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Butler said of Curry and Green. “I think that’s what I respect most about those guys. And they’ve won at so many different levels, obviously at the highest level, and have done it multiple times. So not only can I bring some things to this team. I think they can teach me a whole lot.”