Inside The Warriors

Jimmy Butler's Honest Statement on Warriors, Heat Trade

Golden State Warriors star got honest about his breakup with the Miami Heat

Logan Struck

Mar 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
Mar 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors made a risky move ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, acquiring six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. While usually trading for an All-Star is not risky, Butler was going through one of the ugliest breakups the league has ever seen between a star and their franchise.

Luckily, the trade for Butler could not be working out any better for Golden State.

Since trading for Butler, the Warriors are 16-4 and have immediately become championship contenders with him alongside superstar point guard Steph Curry and NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate Draymond Green.

On Tuesday night, Butler makes his return to Miami for the first time for a highly-anticipated matchup. Before the game, Butler talked to The Athletic's Anthony Slater about his dramatic situation with the Heat.

“All of these stories come out about this and that,” Butler said. “You hear about it, but you don’t know why I do what I do. Don’t nobody know why I do what I do. You just see: ‘Oh, he did this.’ Well, why did he do this? Do you think he did it just to f*****g do it? No. There’s always a reason behind it.”

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10)
Mar 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) as a time out is called against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Many of the issues that Butler was having with the Heat became public, making the entire situation a huge deal because fans typically do not see much of this. Ultimately, Butler got his wish and was traded to the Warriors, but the breakup between him and the Heat was not ideal for either side.

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Logan Struck
LOGAN STRUCK

Logan Struck is a writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's On SI since 2023

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