Jimmy Butler helped turn the Golden State Warriors‘ fortunes around in the 2024-25 season following his arrival via trade from the Miami Heat. The Warriors were 25-26 when Butler made his debut, and they’d end the campaign with a 49-34 record.
While Butler didn’t quite shine in the playoffs as the Warriors were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, trading for him has still been viewed as a brilliant decision. Not everyone saw it that way when the move was made, though.
Butler’s antics toward the end of his time with the Heat were concerning. He had been suspended three times, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wasn’t too worried, thanks to his Heat counterpart Erik Spoelstra.
Spoelstra had been one of Kerr’s assistants when he was head coach of Team USA from 2021 to 2024. They won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and have developed a good relationship over time.
So much so that Kerr revealed to The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami that not long after the Butler trade, Spoelstra reached out to him. Despite the star’s time with the Heat ending the way it did, the head coach didn’t badmouth him.
“Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, he said he’s going to be great for you,” Kerr said. “And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers and I trust him. I believed him and he was right.”
While the Warriors soared with Butler, Spoelstra’s Heat struggled without him. They finished the season with a 37-45 record but did manage to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament. The Heat didn’t go too far, however, as they were swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
