The Miami Heat have agreed to a multi-team trade that will see six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler become a member of the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The details of the trade are as follows:
The Golden State Warriors will receive:
- Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat will receive:
- Andrew Wiggins
- Kyle Anderson
- P.J. Tucker
- And the Warriors’ 2031 first-round draft pick (top-ten protected)
The Utah Jazz will receive:
- Dennis Schröder
The Detroit Pistons will receive:
- Lindy Waters III
- And Josh Richardson
Following the acquisition, Jimmy Butler reportedly declined his player option for 2025-26 and signed a two-year contract extension worth $121 million. That deal will keep Butler in Golden State through the end of the 2026-27 season.
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How does this trade change the landscape of the NBA?
I know this is a four-team trade, but it only really impacts two franchises: Miami and Golden State. The Warriors should now be considered a legitimate threat to win the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat improved by offloading a guy who didn’t want to be there for a former NBA champion, a first-round pick, and two bench contributors.
I don’t want to disrespect the Pistons or the Jazz, but they aren’t that much better following this trade. At 12-37, the Utah Jazz won’t be relevant any time soon. The Detroit Pistons are in the hunt for a play-in spot, but I don’t know if two guys who combine for less than 10 points per game will make them a top team in the East.
Golden State is all-in
There is no future for Golden State. As Dewey from Malcolm in the Middle once said, “The future is now, old man.”
By making a trade for 35-year-old Jimmy Butler, the Warriors are pushing all of their chips to the center of the table. They are basically sacrificing success in the late 2020s and early 2030s for a shot at one or two more championships over the next three seasons.
Who are the Warriors’ best players? Steph Curry (36), Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green (34). Those three guys are on the tail-ends of their careers. They do have an emerging young stud in Jonathan Kuminga, but the 22-year-old has yet to play a full season in the NBA.
Golden State is currently on the outside of the playoff picture with a 25-25 record. The good news is they are only three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth seed in the West. With the addition of Jimmy Butler, I think the Warriors can catch the Clippers over the next couple of weeks. At the very least, they should win enough games to earn a spot in the play-in tournament.
Despite only averaging 17 points per game this season, I still think Butler has a lot of gas left in the tank. I mean, doesn’t Jimmy Butler seem like the kind of guy who won’t try his hardest if he’s unhappy with the team he’s playing for? Exactly! Moving to San Francisco and being paired with Steph Curry will revitalize Butler’s season. It’ll also open up more scoring opportunities for him because Steph Curry will always be the Warriors’ best player and the individual that teams build their defensive game plan around.
It’s unclear what Golden State will look like after the 2026-27 season when Butler and Curry’s contracts both expire. Right now though, the Warriors have one of the most decorated duos in NBA history. Butler and Curry will work well together and will likely spark a postseason run for the Warriors. From there, anything can happen. Remember that Butler and Curry both up their game when the playoffs roll around (Butler +3.0 ppg, Curry +2.7 ppg).
Miami needed to make this move
The trade standoff between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat comes to an end after several weeks of in-fighting. By the time the dust had settled, Butler wound up joining one of the four teams he initially targeted as a trade destination.
The Heat had to make this deal. Butler started expressing his displeasure with the organization in early January when he was suspended seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.” In the same announcement, Miami revealed that Butler and his agents had requested a trade. He returned to the team on January 17th, only to be suspended again for two more games. The final straw came on January 27th, when Butler was suspended indefinitely after he left a team practice early. At that point, it was clear that Jimmy Butler was never going to play another minute for Miami.
I think this is actually a great trade for the Heat. They get back Andrew Wiggins, a 29-year-old forward averaging 17.6 points per game this season (that makes him the Heat’s second-best scorer). Essentially, Miami got rid of an individual who didn’t want to be there for a younger, more affordable player who is having a better season statistically than Jimmy Butler. I call that a win.
The Heat are also reunited with P.J. Tucker, a defensive wizard and former NBA champion. Though his scoring output is unimpressive, he will provide valuable defensive minutes off the bench as Miami’s second/third power forward.
Kyle Anderson is expected to be traded once again. But after a deal to send him to the Toronto Raptors fell through, it’s unclear where he will land. If he ends up staying put in Miami, he can provide a few minutes each night as the Heat’s third small forward/shooting guard.
To top it all off, Miami also received Golden State’s 2031 first-round pick. If the selection falls in the top ten, then it will go back to the Warriors. However, the Heat will receive the pick if it lands outside the top ten. That’s a smart gamble because Golden State will probably not be one of the ten worst teams in the NBA under the current regime.
Miami had no choice but to make this trade because Jimmy Butler was done with the Heat. The fact that they got back Wiggins, Tucker, Anderson, and a first-round pick for a player who had all the leverage is a win in my book.
Utah hasn’t improved much
The Utah Jazz look pretty much the same today as they did yesterday before this trade was set in motion. Though Dennis Schröder is a respectable contributor, his 14.4 points per game make him the Jazz’s sixth-best scorer. On top of that, Schröder is a point guard, a position that Utah already has a lot of talent at (three of the Jazz’s top six scorers play point guard).
As I mentioned before, the Utah Jazz are 12-37 and have the third-worst record in the NBA. Adding Dennis Schröder doesn’t make the Jazz a playoff team. Unfortunately, they’re still a bottom-feeder in the Western Conference even after this trade.
Detroit is the dark horse in this deal
The Pistons could actually be a surprise winner in this trade. They are finally in the hunt for a play-in spot after finishing the previous two seasons with fewer than 20 wins. At 25-26, they’re currently the seventh seed in the East, meaning they could avoid the play-in tournament entirely and secure the sixth seed if they can keep pace with the Miami Heat.
Josh Richardson might not be the 16.6-point-per-game player he once was, but he can still come off the bench and give the Pistons a couple of baskets, assists, and rebounds in limited minutes. That seems like an improvement over Wendall Moore Jr., who has only scored five points since the start of January.
Lindy Waters III can also provide some relief for Detroit’s shooting guards and small forwards. He is averaging 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
The Pistons are slightly better off following this trade. That could be the difference between having to participate in the play-in tournament and comfortably securing a playoff spot in the East.
