After the Warriors misplaced in Atlanta to tip off a six-game street journey, Jimmy Butler shrugged off the importance of his imminent return to the Kaseya Heart and Miami.
“Another game for me, another game that we’re expected to win for sure,” Butler advised reporters.
The Warriors’ loss to the Hawks got here with out Steph Curry, who’s being re-evaluated on Monday for the pelvic contusion he suffered on Thursday evening in opposition to the Raptors. It moved the Warriors’ document to 16-3 when Butler is within the lineup.
The six-time All-Star will certainly be within the lineup Tuesday evening in opposition to the Warmth, his former staff. Butler introduced the Warmth to 2 NBA Finals appearances, however his tenure with the group led to flames. The staff suspended him 3 times this season for conduct detrimental to the staff, and his relationship with Pat Riley frayed after the president publicly known as him out and declined to award him with a contract extension.
The Warmth traded Butler whereas he was serving an indefinite suspension to the Warriors for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a protected 2025 first-round choose. Dennis Schroder and Lindy Waters III had been additionally included within the multi-team deal.
The commerce ended an period in Miami and seems to have prolonged one in Golden State, as Butler instantly acclimated himself as a two-way star.
“Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada,” Butler stated after ending with 25 factors, eight assists and 4 rebounds within the loss to Atlanta. “Yeah, it didn’t end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada. But that’s so far behind me now. I don’t even think about it. I don’t pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad.”
Butler is averaging 17.6 factors, 6.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists per sport as a Warrior. As Curry’s stylistic foil, Butler has introduced a brand new, rugged dynamic to the Warriors’ offensive assault and has paired effectively with Draymond Inexperienced on the defensive finish.
Inexperienced stated he is aware of the upcoming Warmth sport can be an enormous evening for his new teammate, in addition to for Wiggins — who gained the 2022 title with Golden State.
“We want to win for Jimmy, they’re going to want to win for Wiggs,” Inexperienced stated. “We got to come out ready to play.”
Within the post-Heatles period, Butler introduced Miami to its highest heights. He was the one All-NBA participant on two separate Japanese Convention champions, one within the 2020 bubble and one other in 2023. However the Lakers beat Miami within the bubble Finals and Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets eradicated the Warmth two years in the past.
“We were alright,” Butler stated of his Warmth tenure. “We didn’t win nothing like we were supposed to. So I don’t know. We made some cool runs. We had some fun. I think that’s all we did.”
Warriors signal Kevin Knox II for the remainder of the season
Golden State formally signed Kevin Knox to a typical contract. He’d beforehand signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the staff.
Knox is the 14th participant on Golden State’s roster, leaving the staff with one vacant spot. The Warriors can signal a fifteenth participant at any level from now till the top of the common season; the later they select to fill the opening, the more cash they’ll save.
Initially Revealed: March 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM PDT
