Andrew Wiggins played a critical role in the Warriors' success during his time in Golden State, but the front office decided the team needed something different in its push for the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Enter Jimmy Butler, whom the Warriors acquired from the Miami Heat in exchange for Wiggins as part of a multi-team trade before the Feb. 6 deadline. Golden State has responded to the deal with a 5-1 record since Butler's arrival, but coach Steve Kerr doesn't believe comparing Wiggins to the Warriors' new six-time NBA All-Star is fair.
"I don't really like to compare Wiggs and Jimmy," Kerr told 95.7 The Game's "Willard & Dibs" on Monday. "I think the whole thing is really circumstantial. You know, Wiggs was fantastic, obviously was one of the keys to the [2022 NBA Finals] championship. Played such a big role on our team. But our team has changed and shifted, and you could tell before the trade that we just weren't quite getting anywhere. We were kind of treading water right around .500 all year."
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Wiggins was the Warriors' second-best player behind Steph Curry in their 2022 title run, decimating the Boston Celtics in the Finals with 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists across the six-game series. While the fan favorite was traded after averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 43 games with the Warriors this season, there's no denying Golden State is a different team with Butler -- and that's no knock on Wiggins.
Not only has Butler elevated the game of those around him on the Warriors, but Golden State has vastly improved its offensive rating (18th in the NBA to sixth), defensive rating (10th to fifth), assists per game (ninth to third), assist-to-turnover ratio (eighth to third), steals (ninth to second) and turnovers (12th fewest to fifth).
The numbers speak for themselves, and it's clear that despite Wiggins' talents, Butler's aggression and confidence is a better fit for what the Warriors needed right now. The comparisons were sure to come, but in Kerr's eyes, they're unfounded.
"And so I think the timing was right more than anything for Jimmy to come in here," Kerr continued. "He's a very different player from Wiggs, and both guys are amazing competitors, teammates, all-around players -- the size, the athleticism, the versatility, but it's a different feel. With Jimmy, he's a different kind of player. And I think where we are right now compared to a few years ago, we just we this kind of player, and that's why we made the deal."
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Tears were shed for Wiggins when he was traded, by his Warriors teammates and fans alike. But Golden State is reaping the benefits of the emotional deal, and Dub Nation certainly hopes the Warriors can ride Butler's impact all the way to the postseason.