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Salt Lake City – At one point in the past few days, Stephen Curry had a conversation with Kevin during whom him convinced him that a meeting was extremely improbable, no matter how much the ownership group and the front of the front Front of Golden State Warriors “underestimated” the coldness of pending during the right-back during for towards towards towards a return, as a team source said.
Finally, the decision -makers accepted the inevitable and pivoted their NBA trade delay plans to Jimmy Butler. The clause without trade by Bradley Beal locked the Phoenix Suns of the Butler competition. This immutable information element has enabled the managing director Mike Dunleavy, owner Joe Lacob and Deputy Managing Director Kirk Lacob a level of patience, even if Butler posted on his lack of interest in Warriors in the hope of a Miracle in Phoenix, where a longer maximum extension was waiting.
Butler and the Warriors can be considered as safeguarding plans for each other, a marriage of circumstances between the two sides which wanted – and which will probably still want – others. But they are here now. The Warriors used their lever effect as the best remaining pretender of Miami Heat to return Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson and a first round protected in 2025 for Butler, in what they believe to be a modest outgoing package -Star Curry Co-Star Curry they had so desperately desperate.
It was agreed at the start of the evening WednesdayGenerating a delicate scene on the ground at Salt Lake City. Wiggins, heating up halfway with a frightened look, was arrested on the way back to the locker room for a conversation he feared. It was the first and most difficult of the four conversations that Steve Kerr’s coach had with the four players who came out. Kerr then gathered the whole team, expelled the journalists and made Kevon Looney said was “up there” with the most emotional meetings he experienced during his decade with the Warriors.
“Wiggs is one of my favorite players that I have never trained”, ” Kerr said. “Just a beautiful soul. Just a wonderful human being. We do not suspend this banner in (2022) without him. Everything he brings every day, laughter, smile, joy. I will miss it.
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But everything in this ruthless company evolves quickly. How fast? Curry said he had already started thinking about the butler’s cup while playing simultaneously on Wednesday evening against jazz. At halftime, Curry caught his phone and sent a welcome text to Butler. Butler quickly replied.
“It was a very pleasant message,” said Curry.
Curry and Kerr were kept informed, but especially outside of commercial discussions last week. They had trepidations on the idea of the butler. It was a decision orchestrated and executed by Dunleavy (former butler teammate in Chicago), Lacob and the front office. Nothing would have been done without at least a lukewarm green light – so you can bet that he gave it – but Curry never wanted to exercise a personnel power because, in part, how would it compromise his Position as a solid rock teammate and leader.
“You knew all the discussions that were happening last week,” said Curry. “But until the front office presses the relaxation, you don’t necessarily believe that something will happen.”
The Warriors exchange Wiggins for Butler at the top of their rotation. This transforms a wing 3 and du sustainable into a top scorer and a higher tones to eliminate curry pressure. Schröder and Anderson were more auxiliary players in an overcrowded rotation. The first round protected in 2025 was considered consumable, said team sources, given that the Warriors had spotted the project and did not like the pool of prospects at the late lottery and beyond.
Thus, the most risky part of this trade may have been the contractual aspect which crossed it on the finish line. The Warriors have agreed to give Butler an extension of $ 112 million over two years. He refused his player option in the process. It is therefore essentially an additional commitment of a year of $ 58 million to Butler for his 37 -year season, asserting his contract from Curry’s and Draymond Green.
This clouds the future books of Golden State, in particular taking into account the imminent restricted free agency for Jonathan Kuminga and the maintained desire of the front office, said team sources, to bring Kuminga back to what should be an expensive figure .
But Butler clearly needed an additional level of security so that this partnership could come in the right foot. The Warriors therefore delivered it.
“He sign an extension is great,” said Curry. “Knowing that he is hired for this next little race … I know there was a lot of drama there (in Miami). Who really knows what history is? We expect to have a motivated and committed Jimmy.
“I can put myself in his place. It has been far from the game for a minute. He was frustrated for any reason. When you enter into a situation which is a new start, he establishes expectations that we are all used to winning. We all prosper this energy. This does not mean that it will be easy, it does not mean that there will be no challenges. »»
Steph Curry on Jimmy Butler: “I know there was a lot of drama there (in Miami). Who really knows what history is. We expect to have a motivated and committed Jimmy. »»
Curry Text Butler at halftime this evening to welcome him. Butler Text A “pleasant” message. pic.twitter.com/w9dex8ohdg
– Anthony Slater (@anthonyvslater) February 6, 2025
The Warriors began to explore the feasibility of Dream Dream at the end of last week and, in the process, the name of Green was launched. It is plausible that he would have been sent to Phoenix if some of the theoretical structures materialized. This possibility has surfaced in one of the AthleticsIntel reports. Green said he had never gone to the front office to reassure that he would remain.
“No,” he said Athletics Late Wednesday evening. “I’m still talking to Mike. But no, what will happen will happen. Eighty-five percent of the things you worry about never happen. If (I was exchanged), then that’s just what it is. My concerns do not stop him. So I was not at all worried. I was in a place of uncertainty overall. But what is going to be will be. To sit down and worry about it, this life is already quite difficult to worry about what you cannot control. “”
With the movement and extension of the butler, aligning the contracts of their three signature players, the Warriors rather sent the Green Green signal. It is Dunleavy and Lacob engages in Curry, Green and Butler which moves away.
“A thousand percent,” said Green. “This is the goal. That’s what they did. We appreciate it.
There will be immediate questions about how Green and Butler will coexist. Green brushed it.
“He wins?” I win? It’s the cut. The winners win, “said Green. “He’s a winner. Perennial all-star. Hard as nails. Just do the work but it must be done. »»
Looney, one of the wisest and most respected voices of the Warriors changing rooms, expressed the conviction that Butler would integrate, offering an ironic touch. Looney had several conversations with Wiggins on Butler. Wiggins was his teammate in Minnesota and “swears by him,” said Looney.
“I’m super confident,” said Looney. “We have had a lot of different personalities, many different guys. It usually works. Guys to whom I spoke, the guys who played with him, Wiggs says he is a great guy. From a player’s point of view, I heard that he was great. All other things, contract negotiations, you know how it goes. The team turns a story, the media are turning a story, the player is making a story. I don’t want to get into all of this. I know he is a winner. If he cares about winning, he can integrate easily here. »»
As for the adjustment next to Green, Looney saw her controversial teammate get along with Demarcus Cousins, Chris Paul, David West, Andre Iguodala and many other teammates with great personalities.
“Guys like that are dogs, alpha men, they respect other people like that,” said Looney. “They are sort of outside the others. Draymond is an excellent connector. He is a great leader. He makes things happen on the ground and out of the field. »»
There are also the questions in the field, which will start to answer in the coming days. The butler’s trade should be finalized on Thursday, and he is likely to join the team in Chicago before their match on Saturday evening against the Bulls. It has already been discussed in the post-match changing rooms on the type of queue will work best, including a small tank closing five which will have curry, butler, kuminga and green on the ground with Buddy Hield, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski.
“It will be different from what we are used to,” said Curry. “He can play, I’m sure, a little movement. But he is a shooting designer, a finisher, someone you have to take into account where he is on the ground. He plays at his own speed. He can access the fault line, enjoy the games. He is competitor at the highest high level. I’m delighted to see what it looks like. I’m going to watch a lot of Miami movies to see some of the sets they like to execute for him and what we can go by to our game book. ”
It could work. It could be the last nail in the coffin in a peeled dynasty. But that generates an additional bump of interest in a team which is currently at 25-25 after 50 games.
“The greatest thing is that it creates expectations, what I like,” said Curry. “I want to be in this kind of environment, whether you do it or not, it is a significant basketball in which we all love and prospered. I think we are all going to be ready to take up the challenge. ”
(Photo of Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)