Stephen Curry admits initial reluctance about Warriors adding Jimmy Butler: ‘With any deal, you question it’

During an interview with NBA reporter Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Stephen Curry spoke about the Golden State Warriors trading for Jimmy Butler. 

Curry admits initial reluctance when approached about the Warriors adding Butler, who requested a trade from the Miami Heat. 

“With any deal, you question it,” Curry said. “Even when KD (Kevin Durant) 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.”

The Butler trade has worked out well for Curry and the Warriors, who are 16-3 with Butler in the lineup. 

“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.”

Butler agreed to terms on a two-year, $112 million contract extension with the Warriors that runs through the 2026-27 season after the Heat traded him.

“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.”

Butler, who has played with several stars during his NBA career, has enjoyed being around Curry, the best shooter in NBA history. 

“He real real,” Butler said about 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.”