On the heels of an ugly divorce with the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler seems to be in the honeymoon phase with the Golden State Warriors. Just four games into his tenure with his new squad, the six-time All-Star has proclaimed that the Warriors will take home the 2025 championship.
Was Jimmy Butler the Warriors’ Missing Piece?
After forcing his way out of South Beach before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Butler looks like a brand new man in the Bay as he gushed about his new teammates in a Virgin Radio interview.
“I’m so happy [in Golden State]. The organization’s top notch. Obviously, I get to play with Steph [Curry], so I’m a fan of him just like 99.9% of the world and, you know, a chance of winning a championship. What more can you ask for?” he said.
“Me and Draymond [Green] get along quite well. We play a lot of dominos. He’s the best, and you don’t realize how great he is until you actually get on this team. How smart [he is], and how he’ll do anything to win. And I respect that the most out of anything. It’s all about winning all the time with that dude.”
Green himself displayed his winning mentality this week as well, saying on TNT’s broadcast of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game that he thinks Butler’s addition will bring them a championship.
Echoing Green’s bravado, Butler proceeded to tell the show’s host, “When I get the trophy, I get my ring, I’m coming back here.”
“I get to play with Steph. Obviously, I’m a fan of him, just like 99.9% of the world… Me and Draymond get along quite well. We play a lot of dominoes; he’s the best.”
“When I get the trophy and my ring, I’ll be back here.”💍
Jimmy Butler speaks about the move to Golden State👀 pic.twitter.com/LpayMxO60k
— LoonMuse (@KevonLooneyMuse) February 19, 2025
The truth is, Butler and Green have no choice but to aim for the championship since it really is Finals or bust for this Warriors team. Shipping off 29-year-old Andrew Wiggins — who was an All-Star during Golden State’s 2022 title run — for an aging star in Butler whose injury woes haven’t allowed him to play 65 games since the 2018-19 season, is a clear win-now move.
That is especially the case since the front office extended Butler to the tune of $55.5 million per year to lock him down through the 2026-27 season, sent their 2025 first-round pick to the Heat in the deal, and boasted the fourth-oldest team in the NBA before trading for Butler. It’s obvious that the Warriors have sacrificed any semblance of a future in order to compete for a ring in the next two seasons.
Now, the truth is, the Warriors have a long way to go before they’re real title contenders this year. They’re currently clinging for dear life to a spot in the play-in as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, with talented teams like the Phoenix Suns (1.5 games back) and San Antonio Spurs (3.5 games back) nipping at their heels.
That said, Butler’s addition has seemed to be a turning point for Golden State, who is 3-1 since his arrival. It still remains to be seen whether or not they can keep that pace, but Warriors fans can certainly be encouraged that their new star is determined to win it all.