The Jimmy Butler saga has finally ended in Miami, as the six-time All-Star will now be teamed with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State. This has prompted several conversations about the blockbuster trade, including on ESPN’s First Take, but Stephen A. Smith revealed he wasn’t impressed by the Warriors’ newest acquisition.
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Stephen A. doesn’t believe the Warriors are any more of a threat in the Western Conference than they were prior to the trade, saying they are
“No more dangerous than they were yesterday.”
Smith said in response to Golden State adding Butler:
“I’m not moved at all, and that’s no knock against Jimmy Butler, but what we’re not gonna do today is call this a mega deal.”
Compared to the recent Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, nothing looks like a mega deal. But Butler was the only solidified star dealt in this move, a desperate move by Miami to appease the disgruntled veteran. Smith underlined that if Butler had joined Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix, that would have been a mega deal. It would have made sense, too, as Butler is a much better fit alongside the Suns’ offensive-minded stars than Bradley Beal has been.
Stephen A. believes the main reason Golden State pulled off this deal was to dive under the league’s luxury tax threshold. But he also wasn’t concerned with what the Warriors lost, singling out Andrew Wiggins as a player who doesn’t move the needle. Smith cited the forward’s game-to-game inconsistencies. He said,
“[Golden State] gave away Wiggins. Now he’s a guy that I think you could give away for a box of cookies half the time.”
Monica McNutt believes the trade at least makes the Warriors interesting. She underlined how Golden State’s veterans have an opportunity to make younger teams uncomfortable in the postseason.
Draymond Green and Stephen Curry are excited about Butler addition
One of the more concerning issues before the trade was the potential clash of personalities. Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are two of the most headstrong and tenacious players in the league, so how well they fit together is yet to be seen. However, in response to the move, Draymond kept his opinion short and to the point:
“He win? I win? That’s the fit. Winner’s win.”
The pair have the potential to create one of the more fearsome defensive tandems in the NBA.
Stephen Curry was also elated by his team’s addition of Butler. While he acknowledged the months-long saga that went down in South Beach, the two-time MVP expects a revitalized Butler. Steph said,
“We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy that’s ready to impact our team for the better. Gotta work out the kinks of what it looks like, and I’m excited to get to work. Gotta feed off the energy of something new.”
Only time will tell how this deal works out for the Warriors. But for now, it looks like the team has gotten better and become a more interesting storyline at the very least.
