JIMMY Butler is taking his act to Golden State.
The Golden State Warriors are finalizing a major deal that will send Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round pick to the Miami Heat in exchange for Jimmy Butler, according to multiple reports on Wednesday night.
The trade, which is expected to be finalized just before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, February 6, also involves several other moves. The Detroit Pistons will acquire Lindy Waters III from Golden State and Josh Richardson from Miami, while Dennis Schroder will head to the Utah Jazz, who in turn will send PJ Tucker to the Heat.
Initially, Butler had made it clear he would not sign an extension with Golden State if traded there, complicating negotiations.
However, the 35-year-old star forward has since agreed to a two-year, $121 million extension with the Warriors through the 2026-2027 season, according to multiple reports. This includes him declining his $52 million player option for the 2025-2026 season.
Butler, who is currently serving a team suspension due to conduct detrimental to the Heat, hasn’t played since January 21. This suspension came amid Butler’s desire to be traded away from Miami.
He had previously expressed his preference to be moved “anywhere other than Miami,” which caused some hurdles in the process, including his rejection of potential deals with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State.
There was also speculation that Butler was pushing for a trade to the Phoenix Suns, where he was willing to sign a long-term extension.
The Suns had reportedly been working on a multi-team trade to acquire Butler, but the deal never materialized. Suns superstar Kevin Durant also reportedly expressed a desire not to reunite with the Warriors, with whom he won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
On the season, Butler has averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 25 games. Over his 14-year career, the six-time All-Star has averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 839 games (734 starts).
As for Wiggins, the 30-year-old forward is averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 30.1 minutes per game in 43 starts this season.
The former No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft by Cleveland, Wiggins was named an All-Star in 2022 and has averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 749 games (737 starts) for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State.
Schroder, 31, has played 24 games (18 starts) for the Warriors this season, averaging 10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists.
The 12-year veteran has also played for teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics, and has averaged 14.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists over his career.
