After a two-month-long rift between Jimmy Butler and the Heat, the dreaded moment for Miami fans has come. As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday, the Heat are finalizing a deal to send Butler to the Golden State Warriors.
The six-time All-Star forward has reportedly agreed on a two-year, $121 million extension with Golden State through 2026-27.
As soon as news of the trade broke, Butler took to social media to share a post with the caption, “Welcome to the wild wild west.”
What the Deal Includes
In exchange for Butler, Miami would receive Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker (from the Utah Jazz) and a protected first-round draft pick, per ESPN. Additionally, the Warriors’ Lindy Waters III and the Heat’s Josh Richardson would head to Detroit in the swap.
Before the trade, Butler had been suspended by the Heat three times this season, with the most recent on Jan. 27. In January, he had made comments about how he likely wouldn’t find “joy” playing in the city.
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon,” he told reporters.
During his time in Miami, Butler led the Heat to two NBA Finals and three Eastern Conference Finals. Golden State will be his fifth team, where he’ll join stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.