Jimmy Butler’s relationship with the Miami Heat reportedly came to an end with his trade to the Golden State Warriors before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
The Heat were close to signing Butler to the Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and a first-round draft pick, according to reports from ESPN and The Athletic, which cited unnamed team sources.
For months, Butler and the Heat had been at odds. Butler was still receiving his third suspension from the team on Wednesday because of a persistent pattern of breaking team rules, engaging in conduct that was against the team, and purposefully withholding services.
Butler indicated in early January that he wanted to be traded, but the Heat appeared unwilling to give him the lucrative contract extension he requested. His 17 points and 5 rebounds per game in 25 games this season are his lowest scoring average since the 2013-14 season.
The 35-year-old, who arrived in Miami from Philadelphia in 2019, led them to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. He will strengthen Stephen Curry and Draymond Green’s aging star duo at Golden State.
The Warriors are currently battling for a play-in berth in the Western Conference.
About an hour before the Warriors’ game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, where coach Steve Kerr abruptly closed the locker room to address his players, the agreement was made, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
After the Warriors’ loss to the Jazz, Kerr said he was unable to discuss any specifics of a trade that was still unfinished.
He acknowledged the difficulty of getting ready for the game given the rifeing trade reports and the availability of the players.
The league should, according to Kerr, think about setting a trade deadline before the All-Star break. Just so you don’t have to play these games where you’re trying to process the emotions and winning a game and getting traded 30 minutes before the game.
Butler, who had been repeatedly linked to a trade to the Phoenix Suns in the past two months, agreed to a two-year, $112m extension to stay with the Warriors through 2026-27, according to multiple reports. He has rejected the option to extend his $ 52 million player contract until the new extension is signed.
Source: Aljazeera
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