Jimmy Butler Says He Wasn't Skeptical of Warriors as Steph Curry Explains Reluctance

Prior to being traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors last month, star forward Jimmy Butler's preferred destination was widely known to be the Phoenix Suns.

However, Butler explained to The Athletic's Anthony Slater that his initial hesitance to be sent to the Warriors stemmed from his lack of a relationship with Golden State's players. His familiarity with Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Tyus Jones initially made Phoenix a more attractive landing spot.

"I wasn’t skeptical of coming here," Butler said. "I just didn’t talk to anybody. … I knew I was going to get this contract no matter what. The people keep talking about it being about the money. How can it be about the money when any team that traded for me, what were they going to do? I just want to win. Where can I go to win?"

Upon his acquisition, Butler signed a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Warriors, aligning him with star players Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to compete for an NBA championship over the next few years. Curry, who already led the franchise to four titles, admitted that he felt some reluctance when approached about the possibility of acquiring Butler.

"With any deal, you question it," Curry said. "Even when KD came, it was like, you don’t know what it’s going to look like. We came into it positive, but you still had to see it. That uncomfortability is good because it challenges everyone to talk through it, come with the right preparation."

Butler's arrival provided Golden State with a much-needed injection of new energy, as the team is 16-3 in the 19 games he's played and ranks sixth in the Western Conference with a 41-30 record. Both Curry and Butler spoke glowingly of their experiences as they continue to embrace their new partnership.

"I can only speak for this environment because I only know this environment and I helped create this environment," Curry said. "If (quirky habits) bother you, if that’s something that is distracting, then you’re worried about the wrong stuff. Professionals show up and play. And that’s all we ask of everybody who is in here. We’ve had our challenges throughout the years. We’ve seen certain, you know, episodes or what not. But if you show up to play, I have zero problems."

"He real real," Butler said of Curry. "Good dude. Talks. He’s always trying to help everybody be great. Laughs. Wants to have a good time. Loves the game. Loves to compete. Loves to win. But he is the guy. He is the man. He is everything everybody says of him. More than anything, he’s just nice. I’m not talking about on the court. He’s just genuinely a good human being. To everybody. It’s very, very, very refreshing. Because he doesn’t have to be that way."

Adding Butler gives the Warriors a window of title contention that will be open for the next few years, and the team is content with its current short-term outlook rather than worrying about the distant future.

"The contracts are all lined up with a defined timeline," Curry said. "You never know what will happen. But that’s not by accident. So I don’t think anyone’s worried about anything other than right now. We have this year and next year to go for it all. Whatever happens after that is the nature of the NBA. We don’t think too far beyond that."