Everything seems bright and vibrant in the Golden State camp post-trade, as the missing pieces finally came together to complete the Warriors’ puzzle. The most crucial piece of all? Jimmy Butler, whose arrival has seemingly transformed the atmosphere in San Francisco. The team is out of the slump now, and things look much smoother. But not everything was sunshine and roses last month when the trade discussions were at their peak. And guess who wasn’t exactly comfortable with the prospect of Jimmy’s arrival? Stephen Curry.

“With any deal, you question it,” Curry told The Athletic. He recalled the time when Kevin Durant joined the squad and he was unsure of the impact. But isn’t personal against Jimmy. The baby-faced assassin, for all, believes in Suspect-Inspect-Respect. “Even when KD came, it was like, you don’t know what it’s going to look like. We came into it positive, but you still had to see it. That uncomfortability is good because it challenges everyone to talk through it, come with the right preparation,” Curry added.

Curry clarified that the Warriors’ environment isn’t always perfect either. They’ve had their fair share of drama and unprofessionalism. He emphasized that he could only speak about the Warriors’ environment, which he helped create. The 4x champion believes that if players are distracted by quirks or non-basketball matters, they’re focusing on the wrong things. Professionalism, according to the recently turned 37-year-old, means only thing showing up and playing. And as long as players are doing that, he has no issues.

There were rumors of the Warriors being linked to the Heat regarding Jimmy Butler, but neither Stephen Curry nor head coach Steve Kerr seemed on board with the idea. Some speculated that the tension stemmed from Jimmy Butler’s clash with Heat President Pat Riley. The saga dragged on for weeks, with Riley taking drastic measures, like constant suspensions, while the 6x All-Star remained unfazed.

For a while, it seemed like the Warriors had moved on from pursuing Jimmy, with the Phoenix Suns emerging as the real candidate reportedly eager to acquire the veteran forward. That’s where Jimmy himself wanted to go, not the Warriors, as he had specifically mentioned. But destiny had other plans.

Jimmy Butler shares his initial reaction to the Warriors trade

After not getting the desired extension with Miami, Jimmy didn’t want to stay there. It was clear. The environment had already become bitter. He knew he had to escape. So, he asked to be traded. The franchise he had in mind? The Suns, not the Warriors. And the reason? Simple — he had better connections with the players.

“I wasn’t skeptical of coming here (Warriors),” Butler admitted to Anthony Slater. “I just didn’t talk to anybody,” he claimed that to be the real reason and not the two-year $110 million contract he received from the Warriors. “… I knew I was going to get this contract no matter what. The people keep talking about it being about the money. How can it be about the money when any team that traded for me, what were they going to do? I just want to win. Where can I go to win?”

Since his arrival, Jimmy Butler has found himself in a much better place, delivering impressive performances with averages of 17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. His determination to win a championship is clear, and it seems Stephen Curry couldn’t have asked for a better teammate to share the locker room with. A title win could be the perfect way to close this chapter (or rather, this season) for the Warriors.