NBA Rumors: Jimmy Butler Feels Warriors Are Best Organization He's Played for

Jimmy Butler believes the Golden State Warriors are "better than any other organization he's been a part of," according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

"I'm telling you, it's different this time," Charania said at the 8:30 mark of NBA Countdown. "I haven't sensed the same feeling he's had when he went to Philly, when he went to Miami. This is different for Jimmy Butler, going to Golden State.

"He's staying late for shootarounds. He's staying late for practices. He's spending so much time in the training room, the meal room. He's going above and beyond to ingratiate himself with the Warriors right now."

Butler agreed to a two-year, $121 million extension set to keep him with the Warriors through the 2026-27 season shortly after his trade by the Miami Heat, Charania and Brian Windhorst reported for ESPN.

He has averaged 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals through six Warriors games since the trade. He has also earned 9.2 free-throw attempts per game, giving one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the NBA a high-volume shooter from the foul line.

Butler told The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick after the Warriors' road win against the Sacramento Kings last Friday that his fit in the Bay Area is due to his clearly defined role on his new team.

“I see my role clearer than ever. And that’s the thing," Butler said, per Thompson and Amick. "Here, everybody knows their role, and they know where the ball is supposed to go, at what time in the game, and that’s a huge difference-maker. Ain’t nobody fighting for shots. Ain’t nobody doing none of that.

"You get the ball where it needs to go. In the fourth quarter, you slow the ball down, take good shots, take care of the ball, and that’s what it takes to win in this league at a high level. They’ve done it a s— ton of times. This is what I’ve been trying to do in the past X amount of years."

The Warriors have gone 5-1 since Butler's Feb. 8 debut, a stretch that has helped push the team into a play-in spot. Golden State will look to continue solidifying its place as a Western Conference playoff contender on Tuesday night against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.