They didn’t know it at the time, but as soon as the Golden State Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler, they may have doomed the Stephen Curry era. Once the playoffs begin, Butler can be a game-changer, but at this point in Curry’s career, the Warriors need to worry about getting to the playoffs just as much as they need to worry about getting through the playoffs.
Butler is a great player. In his prime, he was one of the best postseason performers in NBA history. But when it comes to the regular season, at least in recent years, he hasn’t been the type of guy to help carry a team to impressive records.
In this year’s Western Conference, that’s not good enough.
Jimmy Butler trade may have ended Stephen Curry era
Butler is having a solid season. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting 51.0% from the field and 44.4% from deep on 2.0 three-point attempts per game.
In the East, when he was on the Miami Heat, he got away with those types of numbers. Alongside Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, he was able to squeak into the playoffs, and from there, all bets were off.
Now, he’s 36 years old, still putting up the same regular-season numbers, and it’s not good enough anymore. The West is too loaded, and the Warriors are in danger of being a fringe Play-In team.
Curry is carrying the scoring load. On a night-to-night basis, the Warriors are in desperate need of someone to step up and help him fill up the scoring column. Butler’s just not that type of player.
Unfortunately, as soon as Golden State traded for him, they locked up $54.1 million in salary for a guy who’s not really the type of every-night scorer they should want next to Curry at this point in his career. They handcuffed themselves.
Now, as they scour the market for trades to help salvage what’s left of the Curry era, they’re doing so with limited financial flexibility. It’s harder than ever to find well-fitting pieces at reasonable prices.
Instead of trading for Butler, Golden State should have traded for a player who could have eased the load on Curry year-round while also supporting him in the playoffs. But they chose to go big-name star-hunting.
Hindsight is obviously 20-20. They didn’t have to pay a very hefty price for Butler. But the whole situation just hasn’t panned out in Golden State.