According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, several teams backed away from trading for Jimmy Butler due to his “histrionics.”
Butler requested a trade from the Miami Heat and was suspended by the team three times during his trade request.
A Marquette product, Butler played for the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Heat before getting traded to the Golden State Warriors. He was traded by the Bulls, Timberwolves, Sixers and Heat.
The Warriors felt comfortable trading for Butler because their general manager, Mike Dunleavy Jr., played with the small forward in Chicago.
“Several rival teams backed away from pursuing the driving force who powered Miami to multiple NBA Finals appearances in the space of five seasons, wary of the histrionics that ultimately convinced the Heat to trade him, as well as the threat of Butler testing free agency this summer,” Fischer wrote. “Not Dunleavy. Golden State’s general manager was steadfast in his stance: Acquiring Butler, even in the middle of the season, could help steer the Warriors back to championship contention.”
Butler agreed to terms on a two-year, $112 million contract extension with Golden State that runs through the 2026-27 season after he was traded by Miami. The swingman is having fun playing basketball again.
“I am wanted here,” Butler said. “I’m appreciated here. I’m grateful that [Dunleavy] saw what I could bring to this organization and this team.”
One of the top two-way players in the NBA, Butler is averaging 17.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists with the Warriors, who are 15-2 with the All-Star.
“I’ve got enough of a history, that familiarity with him, that I feel comfortable with it and it’s worth taking a shot,” Dunleavy Jr. said. “This is a commitment to each other. I didn’t want this to be a temporary thing or a rental or anything like that. I think he feels the same way, on the backside of his career and doesn’t want to be jumping around.”
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