One of the biggest moves that happened at the NBA trade deadline was the Golden State Warriors acquiring the talents of Jimmy Butler. The deal ended a dramatic situation that Butler had going on in Miami, both with ownership and his teammates. Heat legend Dwyane Wade recently sat down with the VP of Heat Development, Udonis Haslem, to break down Butler’s exit. Despite having some tension with the 35-year-old small forward, Haslem had a very corporate answer when speaking on it.
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The Butler trade was by no means easy, nor was it just a two-team package either. In this multi-team trade. The Warriors got Butler while the Heat acquired Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round draft pick. The Utah Jazz would receive Dennis Schröder, while the Detroit Pistons would get Lindy Waters III and Josh Richardson. Finally, the Toronto Raptors would receive P.J. Tucker, a second-round pick, and cash considerations. All parties seemed happy about the move. Especially Haslem.
“The way that deal worked out, it worked out best for everybody,” said the retired Heat star after wishing Butler well. “You not going to get a player better than Andrew Wiggins in that move.” The answer was extremely professional considering how difficult Butler was in his final days in Miami. While the panel he spoke to agreed, Wade wasn’t going to let Haslem’s nonchalant attitude go unnoticed.
“You sounded real corporate right there,” joked Wade, which got a laugh from the boys. “Didn’t he sound real corporate, ‘can’t get no better player,'” he added regarding Haslem’s comment on Wiggins. Haslem immediately tried to counter the point by talking about how great Wiggins was in the 2022 NBA Finals. His point was made, but considering how everything went down, it makes sense.
Haslem is very close to Butler, on top of being an executive for the Heat. The tension of having to do what’s best for the team and also deal with Butler, who was no-showing team practices and not budging after facing multiple suspensions, was probably stressful for him. “My prayers have been answered,” said Haslem, according to journalist Zachary Weinberger, soon after the trade went through.
Despite the exit, Haslem still sings praises of Jimmy Butler
Butler’s impact on the Warriors was immediately felt after the trade. The team finished the season 23-7 and is now sitting pretty in the No. 7 seed to face off against the young/inexperienced Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. On an episode of NBA Countdown, he recalled telling Wade that Butler was one of the smartest players he had ever seen.
“You are talented as h*ll, LeBron is talented as h*ll, but Jimmy is way smarter than y’all. He is very smart. He is an extremely smart basketball player,” Haslem mentioned.
It’s nice to see that Haslem doesn’t carry any grudges. The game is not always kind to friends, just due to uncomfortable circumstances. Butler was in the most uncomfortable of situations in Miami. Happy to hear that all parties have moved on.
Besides, the Heat are now one win away from a No. 8 seed. Maybe if the basketball gods are kind, a Heat and Warriors NBA Finals will bring the friends together again.
