Jimmy Butler's initial impact with the Golden State Warriors has already made them early winners of February's blockbuster trade, but there's another far more underrated aspect that could prove incredibly valuable.
The inclusion of Kyle Anderson in the trade was an obvious and necessary aspect to matching Butler's salary, yet it was also a helpful tool in getting off a contract that the Warriors could have otherwise been stuck with.
Kyle Anderson wasn't seeing a big role with the Warriors
The veteran forward was viewed as a savvy acquisition in the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade last offseason, only to never find a groove with Golden State in a way many had once envisioned.
Between December 15 and the time he was traded on February 5, Anderson appeared in just 13 of the team's 26 games. He averaged just 15.0 minutes in his 36 games with the Warriors overall, ranking second-worst (only behind Dennis Schroder) in plus-minus of any player to appear in more than three games this season.
Anderson had joined Golden State on a three-year, $27 million contract, but it became quickly apparent that wasn't going to be very team-friendly. With the likes of Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga already logging heavy minutes in the front court, Steve Kerr and the Warriors simply couldn't have another non-floor spacer seeing considerable playing time.
The lack of value in Anderson's contract was also proven in the uncertainty surrounding his destination at the point of the trade. When ESPN's Shams Charania first announced details of the blockbuster deal, it was reported that the 31-year-old was on his way to the Toronto Raptors.
That part of the deal seemingly fell through, leaving Anderson to join Andrew Wiggins in moving to Miami. While the exact details as to why it fell through were never fully outlined, it does suggest that both the Heat and Raptors were hesitant at bringing in the former Warrior forward.
Anderson's role with the Heat was similarly diminished compared to what he enjoyed with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies over the previous six seasons. He played just 14 total minutes in the first-round series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Heat a -27 in that time while Anderson went scoreless and with just one total rebound and assist.
Miami are now stuck paying Anderson $19 million over the next two seasons, a contract that may not be easily moved again based on his production this season. In what was such a chaotic and multi-layered deal, the Warriors' ability to shed the Anderson contract and even open up a trade exception was a beneficial aspect that shouldn't be ignored.