5 Takeaways: Jimmy Butler goes to Warriors in Reported Trade with More Players

On By Littum

Responding to Blockbuster Jimmy Butler Trade

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The drama is over. And so is Jimmy Butler’s stormy season in Miami.

The heat allegedly sent him to Warriors for a package of players and elections Wednesday, ending a standoff that began a month ago when Butler got sour about his lack of a contract extension. It forced the heat to put him on the bench with several suspensions and then on the block.

Butler was Heat’s centerpiece player in the post-Big three era of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. However, the ending was angry and a divorce was the only solution.

As the trade deadline approached at. 15 a Thursday, the heat found a freer for butler with time to spare.

Here are five takeaways on the trade and what it means:

1. Warriors try desperately to save Stephen Curry’s prime

A generational player was spoiled by success. His coach was Antsy. And the possibilities ran dry.

So Warriors chose to roll the dice on Butler mainly because of his playoff story, which is rich in clutch and signature moments – endgame Jimmy and all that.

If Butler can expand that magic with Warriors, if nothing else adds that meaning to the midlife crisis experienced by Curry who will win without leaving the city and change teams. Therefore, it made sense for Warriors to do something, because as long as they have Curry, faith goes, every gamble is worth. Just came to the playoffs and everything can happen.

And now Coach Steve Kerr has a few witnessed autumn athletes. Butler helped a couple of otherwise unspoken Miami teams reach the NBA final and fell during a championship both times mainly because Butler did not have a skilled co-star. And Curry has four championships.

Here’s the problem: Both are moving past their prime. Curry currently has a sub-couple season for his standards-Hans’s efficiency is suffering in particular. As for Butler, his health is a constant concern. Can they overcome these questions that come playing games – provided they obviously qualify for the playoffs – with an assist from Jonathan Kuminga and run?

2. Butler’s toughness fits next to Daymond

Draymond Green no longer needs to make the heavy lift alone. Now he has his twin when it comes to toughness, both mental and otherwise.

Butler is proud to accept the challenge of protecting the other team’s best goal scorer and putting the tone for his team. He was the spiritual leader in Miami, as an example and also verbally if necessary. It’s actually the last part that led to Butler’s exit when he claimed he would have been the difference last spring in the playoff not say.

And that leads to this: Can Kerr, who has his hands full with Daymond, juggles another potentially high maintenance star?

3. Is this a gamble financial?

Two years and $ 121 million? It is the cost of doing business with Butler who rejected his player’s setting for 2025-26 to receive the reported expansion. And that’s a part to pay someone who turns 36 when the next season tips and only played 67 or more games once in his career (not including shortened seasons).

Depending on what they can (or not) can do to revive the depth they lost in the agreement, Warriors will essentially be locked into this core for the next two years.

Again: With Draymond, Curry and Butler, Warriors will be led by three players with lots of tread on the tires. Plus competition at the Western conference is unforgivable.

4. The wizards affected this trade … How?

Butler’s journey from Miami to Golden State was almost secured a few years ago when Wizards gave Bradley Beal a clause without trade-on the top of a maximum contract. It was not imaginable and definitely now.

As you know, Beal went to Suns in their attempt to create a big three. And because these formations are now next to impossible under the rules of renewed wage caps, the team must win or cut the losses quickly.

Suns tried to win and when they failed, Beal had the last word in all offers with his non-trade. Therefore, it turned out too difficult to add a third team in any swap with Miami that did not want Beal.

Which left Sun’s helpless to get butler who wanted Phoenix. Lucky for him another team came along and gave him the money he wanted. As for Suns, not such luck.

5. How it helps the heat or not

The best part of this deal for Miami? Butler is not causing longer distractions. As usual, when there is a multiple-player deal, the team that does not receive the best player rarely gets “winner”.

In this situation, it is a wait-and-see with Miami from a talent point of view. Andrew Wiggins is a solid defender and younger, and Kyle Anderson can fit any system, and the protected choice, who knows it.

Will any of it help Miami reach the conference final four times as Butler did?

Again, when evaluating the prey, remove a player from the schedule that would no longer be there, the best return for now. Addition by subtraction.

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Shaun Powell has been covering the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him hereFind His archive here and Follow him on x.

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