On Sunday Jimmy Butler became just the fourth player in franchise history to have at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in a playoff game, helping the Golden State Warriors to a 95-85 victory over the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
The fact the Warriors are even in this playoff position is a testament to the impact Butler has had on the team, having sat below .500 and 11th in the Western Conference standings when the trade was made in early February.
The Jimmy Butler trade just got better for the Warriors
While the Butler trade has already yielded incredible results, the deal just got even better for Golden State following the NBA's coin-flip scenarios to determine tiebreaks and the draft order outside the lottery.
Having finished with a 48-34 regular season record alongside the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies, the Warriors were one of five tiebreak scenarios with results published by the league on Monday.
Golden State lost the tiebreak scenario, with Memphis winning and Milwaukee finishing second. This would usually be a bad thing for the Warriors, meaning they pick last of the three at 20th overall after the Grizzlies (18) and Bucks (19).
However, considering they've given up their first-round pick to the Miami Heat in the Butler trade, this is actually the best possible outcome for Golden State. The lower the pick the less prospects will be on the board for the Heat at June's NBA Draft, and therefore theoretically the less chance they have of selecting a true difference-maker that flips the trade back in their favor.
It's also a worse outcome for the Grizzlies and Bucks who will be relinquishing their first-round picks. Memphis' pick is owed to the Washington Wizards as part of the latter taking on Marcus Smart in a trade at February's deadline, while Milwaukee's pick will end up with the Brooklyn Nets after originally going to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Jrue Holiday trade way back in 2020.
The Warriors will still have a pick in this year's draft, having acquired the Heat's second-round pick in the Butler trade. That will convey as the 41st overall selection, giving Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office the chance to work some more second-round magic after the inspired selections of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post in the last two years.
Golden State's own first-round pick -- 48th overall -- will head to Memphis after originally being sent to Brooklyn in the sign-and-trade for D'Angelo Russell in 2019.