Jimmy Butler Traded to Golden State in 5-Team Deal

Another NBA All-Star is on the move with less than 24 hours to go before Thursday’s trade deadline, as the Jimmy Butler saga has ended. The Heat were finally able to ship off their beleaguered star to the Western Conference, but what they got in return evolved multiple times in the half hour after the trade was first reported and the deal expanded to five teams when the dust settled.

Or so we thought. Later, Shams Charania reported that Toronto will not take Kyle Anderson, with Jake Fischer following up saying the deal with Golden State is done and the rerouting of former Warriors is solely Heat business.

This trade may have another twist yet to come, but let’s discuss what we know.

Butler heads to Golden State and will team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. He also inked a two-year, $121 million contract extension through the 2026-27 season with the Warriors as part of the deal. That puts him on the same contract timeline as Curry and Green and likely marks the “last stand” of the Warriors dynasty.

Will it be enough for Golden State to contend for the Western Conference crown? If Butler’s statistical decline is more age than tantrum related, it doesn’t look promising. He’s posting his lowest averages in over a decade in nearly every category. Butler is the antithesis of a floor spacer and remains a below-average three-point shooter.

That said, adding Butler does increase the chances of this team making the playoffs. The six-time All-Star led his former team to the NBA Finals twice in the past five seasons. There’s a reason teams in the Eastern Conference dread seeing a low-seeded Miami team pop up in the first round, and perhaps Butler can gel so quickly with his new teammates that the Warriors can strike a similar fear into some Western Conference foes this spring. He certainly has never had a teammate as talented as Curry, even at age 36.

For Miami, the Heat must feel pretty good about their return here after the way the Butler situation played out over the last two months. He played just five games after Dec. 20, yet the Heat sit at .500 and in the 7 seed in the East. Bringing in Andrew Wiggins fills a good chunk of the Butler sized hole in the rotation that they’ve been missing for months, and he comes in on a deal that expires after the 2025-26 season (although he does hold a $30.1 million player option for 2026-27). Regardless of Wiggins exercising that option, the Heat now have additional flexibility from a cap perspective over the coming seasons with Butler’s $50-plus million option no longer looming.

They also picked up a 2025 first-round pick from the Warriors, which is top-10 protected in 2025 and 2026. The pick would become unprotected in 2027 if it doesn’t convey before then. Prior to the trade, Miami had just one first round pick in their coffers between now and 2028.

Detroit did what they should with their cap space at this deadline — take on some expiring contracts along with some additional draft capital for their trouble.

I’m not sure what Utah is going to do here, but they do have options on how to proceed. They have a handful of players, like Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, who could be on the move before Thursday’s deadline. If they don’t make any additional moves, I’d expect a buyout of Dennis Schröder, who would then be free to sign with a contending team once he clears waivers.

Just as I’m signing off here, Shams posted a final update on Anderson, so this trade appears to have (finally) concluded.