Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat is guarded by Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Oct. 27, 2022 in San Francisco.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors didn’t just complete a megatrade for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. They also signed the longtime star to a two-year, $121 million extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, in spite of multiple reports over the past week that both Steph Curry and Steve Kerr had concerns about the mercurial Butler’s fit in the Golden State locker room.
A week ago, the Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson reported the Warriors were re-engaging with the Butler trade market, even though they initially weren’t interested in the former Heat star because of concerns about fit. Yahoo! Sports reporter Kevin O’Connor offered a similar report, and specified that it was Curry and Kerr with the biggest concerns.
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“My league sources say that Stephen Curry, specifically, has concerns about Jimmy Butler’s fit in the locker room,” O’Connor said via his “The Kevin O’Connor Show” podcast. “And Steve Kerr shares those feelings. So, Golden State’s indecision about trading for Butler seems to be largely tied to Steph and Kerr’s worries about a personality fit.”
It’s not without merit: Butler has effectively forced his way out of three situations during his four-team NBA career prior to this trade, with each new breakup turning more acrimonious than the previous one. Butler’s tenure with the Heat ended Wednesday after trade chatter spanning months, and three suspensions for missing flights, disrespecting teammates and more.
The Athletic’s report from last week noted that the drama Butler caused in Miami “is not lost on the locker room” and noted that adding Butler alongside Draymond Green — who has quite the history of causing locker room drama himself — only “raises the combustion possibilities.”
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Golden State tried to find alternate trade paths that would allow them to pair Curry with a second star as recently as Wednesday afternoon in former Warrior Kevin Durant. According to ESPN, the Warriors were close to finalizing a three-team deal with the Phoenix Suns and the Heat to bring Durant to the Bay Area and send Butler to Phoenix when Durant let it be known he didn’t want to play for the Warriors.
Butler reportedly said something similar earlier this week, too. But with the deadline nearing and other options seemingly running out, both Butler and the Warriors deal — and extension — happen anyway.
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Feb 5, 2025
