- NBA star Steph Curry was happy to talk about his team trading for forward Jimmy Butler after losing to the Utah Jazz last night. Butler will reportedly make his debut Saturday, Feb. 8.
- The five-team trade sent Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a first-round pick to the Miami Heat.
- Curry expects “It will look different” while integrating Butler into the team.
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There were more than a dozen trades in the NBA on deadline day, Thursday, Feb. 6. None of those deals were as big as the trades that occurred in the days before.
Major blockbusters like Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs shook up the league. As did the five-team deal finalized Wednesday night, Feb. 5, that sent disgruntled forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State players learned about that blockbuster at halftime of their loss to the Utah Jazz. Butler, a six-time All-Star, came to the Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, PJ Tucker from Utah and a first-round draft pick. After the loss Thursday night to the Jazz, Steph Curry admitted he and his teammates were a bit shaken by the deal, but they’re excited to play with Butler.
“He’s been to two finals; he’s a winner. I understand there’s a lot of drama down there, and who really knows what the story is,” Curry said. “We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy that’s ready to impact our team for the better.”
There is, however, the issue of how Butler will fit in the offense with a player like Curry, who many regard as the greatest shooter of all time. The Warriors hope to figure it out in time to make a playoff run.
“It’ll look different than what we’re used to. I mean, he can play a little motion (offense), but he’s a shot creator, a finisher, someone you have to take into account no matter where he is on the floor,” Curry said.
The Warriors hope they’ve improved their roster, and here are a few more big moves made on deadline day:
- Los Angeles Lakers added center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets
- Toronto Raptors added wing Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans
- Cleveland Cavaliers added De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks
- Los Angeles Clippers added Bogdan Bogdanovic from the Atlanta Hawks
- Washington Wizards added Marcus Smart from the Memphis Grizzlies.
The NBA suddenly looks very different than it did just a few days ago. Now, fans will see how it all plays out for the next five months.