For more than a month, Jimmy Butler has been in the headlines due to his feud with the Miami Heat front office. Amidst the suspensions and increasing tension between them, everyone was wondering when will this come to an end. Tonight, the Warriors acquired Butler in a trade and Udonis Haslem is very happy about it.
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UD has been an invaluable member of the Heat and is considered a big brother by current and former players. So, seeing his franchise in turmoil must’ve been difficult for him.
However, now that it’s over, he can take a sigh of relief and move ahead. Zachary Weinberger reported that when the news about the Butler trade was announced on ESPN, the Heat legend had an interesting one-line reaction.
He said, “My prayers have been answered.” This shows the kind of tension that had built up in Miami because of Butler.
They announced the news on ESPN that Jimmy Butler has been traded to the Golden State Warriors and Udonis Haslem said “my prayers have been answered.” #HeatNation
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 6, 2025
While the drama was unfolding within the organization, UD refrained from saying anything. He wanted to stay out of it and kept himself away from taking sides.
However, when he was on NBA Today in January, he spoke on the importance of being all in for a team and if someone can’t do that, then they should not be a part of that team.
During Udonis Haslem's appearance on NBA Today this afternoon, he didn't want to comment on the Jimmy Butler situation.
But Haslem did say this: "I will say this, guys, there's one thing that we do say. You're either in or you're out and there's no in between. That's what I'm…
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) January 15, 2025
UD said, “I will say this, guys, there’s one thing that we do say. You’re either in or you’re out and there’s no in-between. That’s what I’m going to say and I’m going to leave it at that.” A similar comment was made by another Heat legend, Dwyane Wade, who also spoke on why it’s important to be completely dedicated to one’s team.
Haslem’s analysis of the Jimmy Butler trade
In a blockbuster trade involving multiple teams, the Warriors acquired Butler. The former Heat star has agreed to a new two-year, $121 million extension. In exchange, the Heat have received Andrew Wiggins, PJ Tucker, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round pick. Dennis Schroder has been sent to the Jazz.
When UD was asked for his thoughts on the trade, he said, “I love it. I love it for both sides, but I love the fact that we get a backup point guard. We lost Dru Smith a little earlier to injury (torn Achilles). We get an athletic wing to put next to Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.”
UD believes that the Heat can use Wiggins’ championship experience and they were in dire need of a veteran presence which will be fulfilled by Anderson.
