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Salt Lake City – At one point in the past few days, Stephen Curry had a conversation with Kevin Durant who convinced him a reunion was extremely unlikely, regardless of how much the Golden State Warriors ownership group and Front Office Collective “Durant’s Cold against a return, such as A team source expressed it.
Ultimately, the decision makers accepted the inevitable and turned their NBA Handelsdeadline plans to Jimmy Butler. The No-Trade clause from Bradley Beal closed the Phoenix Suns from the Butler Sweepstakes. That piece of unchanging information was general director Mike Donleavy, owner Joe Lacob and assistant -alderman Kirk Lacob, a level of patience, even while Butler was about his lack of interest of Warriors in the hope of a miracle in Phoenix, where A longer max extension waited ,.
Butler and the Warriors can be seen as backupplans for each other, a marriage of circumstances between two sides that wanted – and probably still wish – others. But they are here now. The Warriors used their leverage as the best remaining to the Miami Heat to reverse Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson and a top 10 of 2025 protected first Rounder for Butler, in what they believe that a modest outgoing package for the Curry Co. -Star she is craving so desperate.
In the early evening on Wednesday it was agreed and a difficult scene generated on the ground in Salt Lake City. Wiggins, warming up at half a speed with a suitable look, was stopped on his way back to the dressing room for a conversation where he feared. It was the first and difficultest of four conversations that coach Steve Kerr had with the four departing players. Kerr then gathered the whole team, kicked reporters and had what Kevon Looney said “above that” was with the most emotional meetings he experienced with the Warriors in his decade.
“Wiggs is one of my favorite players I have ever coached,” Said Kerr. ‘Just a beautiful soul. Just a great person. We don’t hang that banner in (2022) without him. Everything he brings every day, the laughter, the smile, the joy. I’m going to miss him. “
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Jimmy Butler Trade Figures: Multi-Team Deal finally ends Saga
But everything in this ruthless company is moving fast. How fast? Curry said he had already started thinking about the butler fit while at the same time he played the game on Wednesday evening against Jazz. During the break, Curry took his phone and Butler sent a welcome text. Butler responded quickly.
“It was a very pleasant message,” said Curry.
Curry and Kerr were kept consciously, but mostly outside trade discussions last week. They had fear about Butler’s idea. This was a decisive decision and made by Dunleavy (a former Butler teammate in Chicago), Lacob and the Front Office. Nothing would have been done without at least a lukewarm green light from Curry-Dus you can bet and leader.
“You knew all the conversations that were going on last week,” said Curry. “But until the Front Office persuades the tractor, you do not necessarily believe that something will happen.”
The Warriors exchange wiggins for butler at the top of their rotation. This turns from a sustainable 3-and-D wing into a higher scorer and tone setter with a higher use to take the pressure from the curry. Schröder and Anderson were more accompanying players in a busy rotation. The 2025 top 10 protected first Rounder was considered replaceable, said team sources, since the Warriors had scouted the concept and did not like the prospect Pool in the late lottery and beyond.
So the most risky part of this trade could have been the contractual aspect that it crossed the finish line. The Warriors agreed to give butler an extension of two years, $ 112 million. He refused his players’ option. It is therefore essentially an extra one year, $ 58 million commitment for Butler for his age-37 season, with his contract length with curries and dayond Green.
That the future books of Golden State Clouds, especially in view of the imminent limited free agency for Jonathan Kuminga and the maintained wishes of the Front Office, said team sources, to reduce Kuminga to what is expected to be a pricey figure.
But Butler clearly needed an extra security level for this partnership to get on the right foot. So the Warriors delivered it.
“He signs an extension is great,” said Curry. “Knowing that he is committed to this next small point … I know there was a lot of drama down there (in Miami). Who really knows what the story is? We expect to have a motivated, dedicated Jimmy.
“I can put myself in his shoes. He is just away from the game. He is frustrated for whatever reason. When you end up in a situation that is a new start, this determines the expectations that we are all used to that we have to win. We all thrive that energy. Does not mean that it will be easy does not mean that there are no challenges. “
Steph Curry on Jimmy Butler: “I know there was a lot of drama there (in Miami). Who really knows what the story is. We expect to have a motivated, dedicated Jimmy. ‘
Curry Text Butler during the break tonight to welcome him. Butler SMS a “pleasant” message back. pic.twitter.com/W9Dex8OHDG
– Anthony Slater (@anthonyvlater) February 6, 2025
The Warriors started exploring the feasibility of the durant dream at the end of last week and the name of Green was driven in the process. It is likely that he would have been sent to Phoenix if some of the theoretical structures would contain. That possibility emerged in one of one of AthleticsIntel reports. Green said he never went to the front office for reassuring that he would linger.
“No,” he said Athletics Late Wednesday evening. “I always talk to Mike. But no, what will happen, will happen. Ninety -five percent of the things you are worried about will never come out. If (I was traded), then it’s just what it is. My worries don’t stop. So I wasn’t worried at all. I have generally had a place of uncertainty. But what is going to be. To be about it and worry, this life is difficult enough to worry about what you cannot check. “
With the Butler Moving and Extension, which stood the contracts of all three their characteristic players in the row, the Warriors sent the opposite signal to Green instead. This is Dunleavy and Lacob that occurs to Curry, Green and Butler drive it out.
“Thousand percent,” said Green. “That is the goal. That’s what they did. We appreciate it. “
There will be immediate questions about how good Green and Butler will co -exist. Green collapsed.
“He wins? I win? That’s the fit. Winners win,” said Green. “He is a winner. Multi -year All -Star. Tough as nails. Just F – Let the job done, but this must be done.”
Looney, one of the wisest and most respected voices in the dressing room of the Warriors, expressed a conviction that Butler would fit well and deliver an ironic turn. Looney has had various conversations with Wiggins about Butler. Wiggins was his teammate in Minnesota and “swears by him,” said Looney.
“I am super confident,” said Looney. “We have had many different personalities, many different boys. It usually comes out. From the boys I spoke with, the boys who played with him, Wiggs says he is a great guy. From the perspective of a player I heard that he is great. All other things, the contract negotiations, you know how that goes. Team plays a story, media spins a story, player spins a story. I don’t want to go all of that. I know he is a winner. If he cares about winning, he fits easily. “
Regarding the fit next to Green, Looney has seen his controversial teammate get along with Demarcus Cousins, Chris Paul, David West, Andre Iguodala and numerous other teammates with great personalities.
“Boys like those dogs, alpha men, they respect other people like that,” said Looney. “They stay a bit out of each other. Dayond is a great connector. He is a great leader. He lets things happen on the floor and outside the field. ‘
There are also the questions on the field that will be answered in the coming days. The Butler Trade is expected to be completed on Thursday, and he will probably be connected to the Bulls to the Chicago team before their Saturday evening match. There was already in the post game dressing room about what kind of line-ups will work best, including a small ball that closes five that will have curry, butler, kuminga and green on the floor with buddy, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski.
“It will look different than we are used to,” said Curry. “He can play, I am sure, a little movement. But he is a shot, a Finisher, someone with whom you have to take into account where he is on the floor. He plays at his own speed. He can reach the error line, benefits from matchups. He is a competitor at the highest of high levels. I am excited to see what it looks like. I am going to watch many Miami films to see some sets that they would like to run for him and what we can switch to our playbook. “
It could work. It can be the last nail in the coffin in a fading dynasty. But it does generate an extra interest for a team that is currently 25-25 after 50 games.
“The biggest thing is that it just creates expectations that I love,” said Curry. “I want to be in that kind of environment, whether you can do it or not, that is a meaningful basketball that we all love and thrive. I think we will all take on the challenge.”
(Photo by Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)