The Golden State Warriors were struggling during the early part of the 2024-25 NBA season, which prompted the franchise to make a bold move by acquiring Jimmy Butler. The arrival of the versatile forward seems to have energized the team, with their hopes of competing for another NBA title looking stronger than ever. Draymond Green recently shared the details of a heartfelt conversation he had with Stephen Curry about the trade.
“We got Jimmy Butler… Like, this is no small deal. It’s Jimmy Butler,” he said on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. “Steph, he looked like he got belief. In Utah, after the trade, he looked at me and said, ‘Man, it’s crazy ‘cause it just dawned on me that like this is it, like this is… last ride.’ And I said, ‘Let’s do it. Like, let’s do it.’ It was an emotional moment.”
Curry and Green have been cognizant that their time in the league is limited, and that every season could be their final opportunity to win a fifth NBA title. With the addition of Butler, the Warriors appear to have found a new source of optimism.
“I’ve gone into basketball games with that feeling, like ‘Oh, yeah, we’re gonna go to just win,’ and it’s been two games here, nobody’s getting ahead of themselves, but I can tell only you how these two games were felt,” Green added. “It feels great, bro. Stuff gonna get harder, and we gonna have to figure stuff out. But I know when it’s right.”
Butler’s impact
In his first two games with the Golden State Warriors, Jimmy Butler made an immediate and noticeable impact on the court. Prior to his arrival, the Warriors had dropped two straight games to the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. However, with Butler in the lineup, Golden State has bounced back, securing two decisive victories against the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler played a key role in both wins: he scored 25 points in the victory over the Bulls, and added 20 points in the win against the Bucks. His presence not only bolstered the Warriors’ offense but also provided a boost to Curry, who led the team with over 30 points in both games.
What does Butler bring to the Warriors?
Draymond Green provided insight into how Butler’s arrival has helped the Warriors’ overall game. “Steph dominates from the perimeter. We all in the world know that,” he said. “You got somebody now that’s dominating inside the three-point line, which naturally slows the offense down. Which I thought we needed. Jimmy allows us to slow down.”
Green went on to elaborate on the unique attention Butler commands. “It’s crazy cause in a weird way, he draws so much attention. But obviously I’ve played with Steph for 13 years, so drawing attention to me looks a certain way, you know. I played for 12 years drawing attention, and obviously with KD (Kevin Durant) for three years, but Jimmy draws attention differently.” He added: “One of the most incredible things Steph does is playing without the ball. Jimmy has that same thing.”