“It’s ending tragically, this is tragic,” Dwyane Wade had said about Jimmy Butler’s messy split with the Miami Heat. And just like that, Butler packed his bags and headed west, landing with the Golden State Warriors in a blockbuster four-team trade. While the All-Star forward insists he’s “got his joy back,” Wade feels the move makes Golden State an instant contender—not just for this season but for the next three years.

“This is an all-in probably for the next three years for Golden State,” he said on The WY Network. The former Heat legend knows what it takes to chase a championship, and with Steph Curry still playing at an elite level, he sees Butler’s arrival as a necessary gamble. “When you got one of the greatest players to ever put on a jersey, it’s your duty to make sure that they have an opportunity when they say I need more,” he added.

But what makes Wade so confident? It’s simple—he knows Butler better than most. “When I look at this from Jimmy’s standpoint, I go back to the Jimmy that I knew in Marquette, the Jimmy I knew in Chicago at first before he became an All-Star Jimmy,” Wade explained. “The Jimmy that is just like a wild dog off the leash because he can now just be Jimmy.”

In Miami, Butler often had to carry the offensive load. Now, surrounded by Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, he can play freely—and that’s a dangerous sight for the league.

And in his Warriors debut, Butler wasted no time proving Wade right. He dropped 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting, dished out four assists, and grabbed two rebounds. More importantly, his performance helped Golden State erase a 24-point deficit and storm past the Chicago Bulls 132-111.

“I know I have my joy back now,” Butler said, signaling that he’s moved on. Whatever went wrong in Miami? That’s history. Now, it’s all about chasing another ring—with the clock ticking on Golden State’s three-year window.

Dwyane Wade addressed Jimmy Butler’s fallout with the Heat

Top Comment by Ez4ne12c

Good riddens !

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Debate

Before Jimmy Butler’s trade to the Golden State Warriors, his relationship with Miami Heat president Pat Riley had completely unraveled. The tension reached a breaking point when the team hit Butler with a seven-game suspension. Naturally, Dwyane Wade had something to say about it.

Speaking on The Why With Dwyane Wade podcast, he reflected on what Butler meant to the franchise. “The Heat was a soft landing spot for Jimmy, and Jimmy was exactly the star that the Heat needed for six years—Finals, big moments that they’ve had together,” Wade said.

Over his six-season stint, Butler put up 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, leading the Heat to deep playoff runs. So, for Wade, the messy ending felt unnecessary. “It’s ending tragically, this is tragic. This is a tragic way to end a relationship,” he said.

And as a Heat legend, Wade explained how it’s affecting the franchise. “It’s ugly on our franchise, it’s a stain on our franchise that we continue to have the way that the relationships break up,” he admitted.

Ultimately, Wade chalked it up to egos and pride clashing behind the scenes, something he feels damaged the team’s reputation. “A lot of this that’s going on, it’s just ugly because I know there ain’t no communication going on,” he pointed out. Now, Butler has a fresh start with the Warriors, but can he turn this move into a championship run? Only time will tell.