Steph Curry has a new sidekick in Golden State as he attempts to lead the Warriors to yet another NBA championship.
And Curry sent a subtle message to Jimmy Butler after news broke that the Warriors had acquired Butler from the Miami Heat ahead of the trade deadline and would sign him to a two-year, $121 million extension. Butler will waive his player option for $52 million for the 2025-26 season.
“Him signing an extension is big,” Curry said, per The Athletic, adding that he sent Butler a text message during halftime of Thursday’s game with the Utah Jazz. “Knowing he’s committed for this next little run.
“He’s been in two [NBA] Finals, he’s a winner,” Curry added. “I understand there was a lot of drama down there. “Who really knows what the story is? 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 and gotta feed off the energy of something new, and somebody that’s obviously had a experience at the highest of levels [and] has a lot to prove in a new situation. We’re going to try to help each other do that.”
Curry added that Butler will get a “fresh start” in Golden State.
“I can put myself in his shoes,” he said. “He’s been away from the game for a minute. He’s been frustrated for whatever reason. When you get into a situation that’s a fresh start, it establishes expectations that we’re all used to that we need to win. We all thrive off that energy. Doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges.”
Translation: Curry hopes Butler – who was suspended three times in 2025 alone by the Heat – will leave the “drama” behind and lock in on helping the aging Warriors win another title during their closing window in the next couple of years.
Curry is 36, Butler is 35 and Draymond Green is 34, and all will be signed through the 2026-27 season.
Butler joins a Golden State team that is 25-25 after Wednesday’s loss to the Utah Jazz and in 11th place in the loaded Western Conference. They are 15.5 games out of first place and play LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday.
It remains to be seen how it will all play out. The Warriors hope to move out of the Play-In scenario and into the top six seeds, but the Western Conference is stacked with Minnesota, new-look Dallas, Sacramento, Phoenix, Golden State and San Antonio separated by just 4 1/2 games from 7-13.
“It’ll look different than what we’re used to,” continued Curry. “He’s a shot creator, a finisher, somebody that you have to take into account no matter where he’s on the floor, he plays at his own speed, he can get to the foul line, take advantage of matchups… He’s obviously a competitor at the highest of levels.”
As for how Green and Butler will coexist, Draymond said that they will make it work.
“He win? I win? That’s the fit. Winners win,” Green said. “He’s a winner. Perennial All-Star. Tough as nails. Just f—ing get the job done however it needs to be done.”
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