After Messy Miami Divorce, Jimmy Butler Reveals What Warriors Are Letting Him Do That Pat Riley & Heat Didn’t

Jimmy Butler & Golden State Warriors was a union neither of the parties wanted. The Bay Area franchise would rather cherish a reunion, and Butler, a possible Big-Three scenario in Phoenix. But the stars didn’t align, and blame it on their fates that brought these two together but the win-now mentality needed to jolt back to action. The waning Curry-Green effect, the team dipped with inconsistencies in the standings, and the Dub Nation couldn’t wait around. So, the very reason Pat Riely was accused of withholding his money for, Warriors traded and traded big. There was only one timeline that mattered to the Dub Nation, and that was of Curry.

At 35, it was all but said, Jimmy Butler wasn’t making an appealing case for a team looking far ahead in the future. Thankfully for him, that seemed like the last thing on the Warriors’ mind. They sent Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and, interestingly, a 2025 protected first-round draft pick for the forward. And what a fit he’d make! After missing 14 of his 19 games with the Miami Heat, the 6 ft 7 forward joined the Warriors, completely charged, eyeing a championship, and ready to put everything behind him. “I got a feeling I’m [going to] be back, in a big way, too…  I’ve been training, I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to be doing,” he’d say right after the trade.

Well now, 13 games in, he accepts there to have not been a better atmosphere.

In Monday’s 130-120 victory over the Trail Blazers, Jimmy Butler recorded his first-ever triple-double in the Warriors jersey. A little over 3 minutes left on the clock, 12-point, 10-assist double-double to his name, the star forward stood with just one rebound away from reaching the feat. And after missing a driving floating jump shot, he ticked that box! But the credit, Butler says, was not all his to claim.

“You can’t get a triple-double without your teammates. That’s for damn sure,” he said after the game. “Whether they miss the shot and you get the rebound, or they make the shot whenever you pass it to them. Triple-double is just a word. I’m just happy that we won—triple-double or not. I take these wins as they come.” In every word he speaks, it seems like a dig at his former team.

Butler was suspended for nine games in total after the feud between him and the Heat front office made news. Late in January, he was also hit with an indefinite suspension, which would account for no fewer than five games. The forward was clearly out of spirits, refusing to record more than 10 points in the last few matchups. “an ugly, bitter … end,” Shams Charania would call it, comparing it to a divorce in a rather suceessful relationship. But since landing in Golden State at the trade deadline, he’s helped make the Warriors an entirely different beast.

The energy itself has spoken enough. But records to prove? The Dubs are 12-1 with Butler and 10-3 without him. And Monday night, that streak kept rolling. Jimmy has emphasized a team-first mentality often, pushing forth the ‘right play’ notion– team’s success over individual glory. But at the Warriors, while he still carries that with him, the support has been mutual. You know that from the record he set on Feb 24th– first Warrior in franchise history to have 120+ Points, 30+ Rebounds, and 30+ assists in the first 6 games. But you also know that from the record he set on Monday.

Butler tied Hall of Famer Rick Barry for the fastest triple-double in franchise history, nine games. For the forward looking to add a championship to his resume, that’s a walk in the right direction and he makes it clear, this wouldn’t have been a possibility in his previous franchise.

“They’re allowing me to be me,” Butler said. “They love me here. So I’m happy to be here.”

Well, Steve Kerr has admitted it has become easier winning games now than it was a month before and he is all in for Butler’s moves and what he is bringing to the table. “He’s constantly reading what’s happening, and calming us down, and creating good possessions at both ends,” Kerr said last week. The Warriors have moved up to the 6th spot now and we couldn’t imagine a better match than these two for the season.

The Messy Breakup: Why Did Jimmy Butler Leave the Heat?

If you have been following the game, especially the Heats’ lately, then break up needs no explanation. But wait, let’s rewind for a second. Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat break up didn’t just fizzle out, it exploded. It divided the NBA experts, legends, and everyone who felt a bit involved. One 56-point game, two Finals appearances, the whole “Heat Culture” thing—on the surface, it looked like a perfect match. But behind the scenes? Different story.

What was the major problem that separated Butler from the Heat? Money. Louder. Respect and money. Butler wanted a massive extension. Miami? Not so sure. They weren’t prepared to make a permanent commitment to a player at 35 or beyond. This is when things started to unravel. By December 2024, Butler had had enough. He wanted out. And then came the drama. Skipping practices. Missing a team flight. (The same behavior you won’t see in his Warriors’ days) And then suspensions. It got ugly. And when former NBA star Tim Hardaway Sr. publicly called Butler a “crybaby” and a “whiner”? That was the point of no return. 

But then did Pat Riley ever come looking for a way to mend things? Nope. He went a bit further. “There was conflict with every single one of my players. All of the players who were at this certain level of greatness,” Riley admitted. But Riley’s philosophy? Simple. He wasn’t going to gamble on Butler’s decline.

Kevin Garnett put it best: “Pat Riley is like, ‘You’re declining. And if I’m going to make an investment, it’s going to be for that decline, not the incline.’” And just like that, Miami made their choice. The final nail in the coffin was hammered.

On February 6, 2025, the Heat traded him to the Warriors as part of a four-team deal. Let’s be real: They gave up the guy who, at this very minute, might be the frigging missing piece to a championship.

What kind of impact has Butler had since arriving? Exactly what the Warriors hoped for. Butler has taken a lot of pressure off Curry’s shoulders. And Monday’s win over Portland was just another example of how well-balanced this team has become. Gary Payton II? Career-high 26 points. Buddy Hield? Six threes, 20 points. And Butler? Just doing a bit of everything.

Has this move changed Butler’s career? Absolutely. In Miami, it was contract battles, front-office tension, and constant drama. In Golden State? He’s thriving. His leadership, his versatility, his defense—it’s all being appreciated. The Warriors? They’re winning. They’re climbing the standings. And looking back? Walking away from the Heat might just be the best decision Butler has ever made.