The fit might not have been quite as obvious at first, but after six weeks, it appears Jimmy Butler and the Warriors are a near-perfect match.
Before the veteran forward was dealt to Golden State in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 5, both Butler and the Warriors reportedly had some level of trepidation about a potential marriage in the weeks leading up to the deal, which initially made it seem like a trade would not materialize before the NBA's Feb. 6 deadline.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Butler, whose preferred trade deadline destination reportedly was the Phoenix Suns, explained his perceived hesitation about a trade to Golden State before the deal went through.
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“I wasn’t skeptical of coming here,” Butler told Slater. “I just didn’t talk to anybody … I knew I was going to get this contract no matter what. The people keep talking about it being about the money. How can it be about the money when any team that traded for me, what were they going to do? I just want to win. Where can I go to win?”
Some key Warriors, including Steph Curry and Steve Kerr, reportedly had some initial reservations about Butler's potential fit in the locker room before the trade, with Draymond Green even issuing Butler a warning about his behavior before forcing his way out of Miami.
“With any deal, you question it,” Curry told Slater, admitting to his initial reluctance about the trade. “Even when [Kevin Durant] came, it was like, you don’t know what it’s going to look like. We came into it positive, but you still had to see it. That uncomfortability is good because it challenges everyone to talk through it, come with the right preparation.”
“I can only speak for this environment because I only know this environment and I helped create this environment,” Curry said. “If [quirky habits] bother you, if that’s something that is distracting, then you’re worried about the wrong stuff. Professionals show up and play. And that’s all we ask of everybody who is in here. We’ve had our challenges throughout the years. We’ve seen certain, you know, episodes or what not. But if you show up to play, I have zero problems.”
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It's safe to say the trade has worked out very well for both Butler and the Warriors, who are 16-4 overall since the star forward's arrival on Feb. 6 and have rocketed up the Western Conference standings.
Not only have the Warriors been winning, but Butler now has a superstar counterpart in Curry that he thinks very highly of.
“He real real,” Butler said of Curry. “Good dude. Talks. He’s always trying to help everybody be great. Laughs. Wants to have a good time. Loves the game. Loves to compete. Loves to win. But he is the guy. He is the man. He is everything everybody says of him. More than anything, he’s just nice. I’m not talking about on the court. He’s just genuinely a good human being. To everybody. It’s very, very, very refreshing. Because he doesn’t have to be that way.”
The Warriors look to continue their winning ways against the Miami Heat on Tuesday at Kaseya Center, Butler's first game against his former team since his and Golden State's season-altering trade.