Jimmy Butler finally got his wish, as he was traded to the Golden State Warriors last night. A two-month-long saga is over, and Butler can now turn his focus to the West Coast. The former All-Star was in a celebratory mood, sharing a song snippet produced by Breland, with lyrics about the ‘Wild Wild West’. Butler has been working on a country album with Breland recently.
Jimmy Butler will join the Warriors imminently and hope to get to work now that his long-lasting saga with the Miami Heat is over. Butler hasn’t played consistent basketball since the beginning of the year, due to his multiple suspensions at the hands of the Miami Heat.
Butler initially wanted to go to the Phoenix Suns. However, the issue of Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause became too much of a problem for the Suns to be able to circumvent. Butler had originally told the Warriors, who had shown interest in him, that he didn’t intend to sign a long-term contract extension with the franchise.
In fact, Butler had his heart set on the Suns so much that he even rejected offers from multiple NBA championship-caliber teams during the last few weeks. For their part, the Warriors did not slow down, even approaching every All-Star to gauge their interest in a possible trade.
However, Butler acquiesced and decided to move to the Warriors with the door closing on a potential Suns move and the Warriors’ approach to Kevin Durant stopping before it could get started. He has already agreed to a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Dubs, keeping him with the team for the foreseeable future.
Butler’s timing couldn’t be better, as the Warriors are in a dire position right now, sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 25-25 record. Their collapse against the Charlotte Hornets last night showed that the franchise is in desperate need of a second All-Star-level player to aid Stephen Curry.
Butler has been putting up decent numbers this season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 54.0% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc, and 80.1% from the free-throw line.
Considering these numbers were coming during a period when Butler was highly unmotivated to play well for the Heat, one can reasonably expect the former Eastern Conference Finals MVP to step up his performance level once he joins the Warriors.
The Warriors have a strong lineup with Butler’s arrival, one that can definitely create a few upsets in the playoffs. But it is hard to look past teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, and the new-look Lakers as the favorites in the Western Conference.
Butler and Curry will have to elevate not just their own games, but the performance level of the entire team to try and get them out of the play-in tournament and to a guaranteed playoff spot.
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