Ready to be a Warrior: This is when Jimmy Butler could make his debut with Golden State
Butler is set to move to California, bringing an end to his increasingly fractious relationship with the Miami Heat.
Forward Jimmy Butler, who is poised to swap the Miami Heat for the Warriors, could make his debut for Golden State against one of his former teams.
Can Butler get “joy” back in Golden State?
As part of a multi-team trade revealed on Monday by ESPN insider Shams Charania, Butler is set to bring an end to his five-and-a-half-year spell in Miami, having endured a deteriorating relationship with the Florida franchise.
Late last month, the Heat suspended Butler indefinitely after he walked out of practice before a game against the Orlando Magic. It was the third time in 2025 that the team had suspended the 35-year-old, who at the start of January complained that he had lost his “joy” for basketball and would “probably not” get it back in Miami.
BREAKING: The Miami Heat are finalizing a deal to send Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors for Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson and a protected first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/82mWHKCnVM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
When could Butler make his Warriors debut?
The Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena today, February 6, but that game appears to come too soon for Butler to make his first appearance for Steve Kerr’s team. However, the six-time All-Star may be available to make his Golden State debut this weekend, as the Warriors travel to Illinois to take on the Chicago Bulls.
Golden State visit the Bulls - the team where Butler began his NBA career, spending six years in Chicago - on Saturday, February 8. Tip-off at United Center is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
The Warriors will be the fifth team of Butler’s NBA career. Following his 2011-2017 stint with the Bulls, the forward spent a season each with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers, before moving to the Heat in 2019. In 839 career NBA games, the Houston native has averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Which other players are involved in Butler-to-Golden State trade?
Per Charania, Butler will go to the Warriors in exchange for Golden State players Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, in addition to a protected first-round Draft pick.
In a trade that involves a total of five teams, the Warriors are also sending Dennis Schröder to the Utah Jazz, Charania says, while P.J. Tucker is to return to the Heat from Utah. Finally, Lindy Waters III is to go to the Detroit Pistons from the Warriors, with Josh Richardson also joining the Pistons from the Heat.
Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins in their new threads 😲 pic.twitter.com/igpF55pJfE
— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2025
What are the Warriors’ 2024/25 stats?
Butler joins a Golden State team that is struggling to make the 2024/25 playoffs. Winners of the NBA championship in four of the nine last years, the 25-24 Warriors are currently 10th in the Western Conference - a position which would only be good enough to earn the Californians a spot in the play-in tournament.
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