Heat sends Jimmy Butler to Warriors as part of five-team trade. The full details about the move
In the end, both Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat got what they wanted: A trade to rid themselves of each other.
The Heat dealt the disgruntled Butler to the Golden State Warriors as part of a larger trade on Wednesday night on the eve of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, league sources confirmed to the Miami Herald. The deal continued to expand to include more teams and players Thursday before being finalized ahead of the 3 p.m. deadline.
Here’s the breakdown of the five-team trade, which was approved by the NBA and became official on Thursday night:
▪ The Warriors added Butler from the Heat.
▪ The Heat acquired Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick from the Warriors, and Mitchell from the Raptors.
▪ The Raptors ended up with Tucker from the Jazz, cash and a 2026 second-round pick from the Heat (via the Los Angeles Lakers).
▪ The Detroit Pistons landed Lindy Waters, Dennis Schroder and a 2031 second-round pick from the Warriors.
▪ The Utah Jazz acquired K.J. Martin and a 2028 second-round pick from the Pistons, and Josh Richardson and a 2031 second-round pick from the Heat (via the Indiana Pacers).
As part of the move, Butler will decline the $52.4 million player option in his current contract for next season to sign a two-year max extension worth $111 million with the Warriors — the same extension that he once wanted from the Heat. This extension will pay Butler $54.1 million next season when he’ll be 36 years old and $56.8 million for the 2026-27 season when he’ll be 37 years old.
It’s also worth noting that if the top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick that the Heat acquired from the Warriors is not conveyed in 2025, it would have the same top-10 protections in 2026. If the first-round selection isn’t conveyed by 2026, the Heat would get the Warriors’ unprotected 2027 first-round pick.
Along with adding another draft pick to its cupboard in the trade, the Heat acquired a 29-year-old starting caliber forward in Wiggins, a 26-year-old defensive-minded guard in Mitchell and a 31-year-old veteran wing in Anderson.
Wiggins (due $26.3 million this season, $28.2 million in 2025-26 and has a $30.2 million player option for 2026-27 before becoming a free agent in 2027 offseason) averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent on 5.8 three-point attempts per game in 43 appearances (43 starts) this season with the Warriors before the trade.
Mitchell (due $6.5 million this season and can be a restricted free agent this upcoming summer) averaged 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent on 2.7 three-point attempts per game in 44 appearances (22 starts) for the Raptors this season before the trade. Despite standing at just 6 feet and 202 pounds, Mitchell is known as a pesky perimeter defender who will help the Heat’s point-of-attack defense.
Anderson (due $8.8 million this season, $9.2 million in 2025-26 and then has a fully non-guaranteed salary of $9.7 million in 2026-27) averaged 5.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 36.5 percent on 1.4 three-point attempts per game in 36 appearances (three starts) for the Warriors this season prior to the trade.
With Wiggins, Mitchell and Anderson not expected to be ready to make their Heat debuts in Friday’s road game against the Brooklyn Nets, the hope is they will play their first game in a Heat uniform when the team returns home to face the Boston Celtics on Monday.
With the trade, the Heat moved under the first apron and significantly lowered its luxury tax bill. The Heat now stands about $2 million under the first apron and is now about $2.7 million above the luxury tax line, as it went from facing a luxury tax bill for this season of about $23.8 million before the trade to a tax bill of just about $4 million after the trade.
By getting under the first apron, the Heat is now also able to sign any player waived/bought out during the season. But signing such a player with a pre-waiver salary of more than $12.8 million will hard cap the Heat at the first apron of $178.1 million this season.
While the Heat opted to send Butler to the Warriors, there was more confirmation on Thursday that the Heat pursued Phoenix Suns star forward Kevin Durant before trading Butler to Golden State. But the Suns asked for more than the Heat was willing to trade for the future Hall of Famer, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reporting that the Suns made a “massive request, picks, young players” when the Heat asked for Durant.
The Heat entered Thursday in sixth place in the Eastern Conference at 25-24 and comes out of the trade deadline with a roster that’s currently at the NBA maximum of 15 players: Bam Adebayo, Anderson, Alec Burks, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Keshad Johnson, Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, Kevin Love, Mitchell, Duncan Robinson, Dru Smith, Kel’el Ware and Wiggins.
THE BUILD UP
The trade marks the end of a damaging few weeks for the team-player relationship between the Heat and Butler. There was a trade request from Butler, three suspensions without pay issued by the Heat and an airing of grievances against each other along the way.
“I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball,” Butler said on Jan. 2 during a postgame news conference at Kaseya Center. “And wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon, I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here — off the court. But I want to be back to someone dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I’m not doing that.”
When asked whether he believes he could get his joy back with the Heat, Butler answered on Jan. 2: “Probably not.”
The day after Butler made those comments, the Heat announced his seven-game suspension on Jan. 3 through a press release that said: “We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks. Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team.
“Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”
After serving that seven-game suspension, Butler rejoined the Heat to play in three games before he was suspended again in the wake of missing the team’s flight to Milwaukee for a Jan. 23 road game against the Bucks.
Butler was planning to fly separately to meet the Heat in Milwaukee ahead of its matchup with the Bucks. But the Heat instead again suspended Butler on Jan. 22 — this time for two games.
The Heat announced that two-game suspension through a press release that said: “We have suspended Jimmy Butler for two games for continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today’s team flight to Milwaukee.”
After serving that two-game suspension, Butler was again set to rejoin the Heat for its Jan. 27 home game against the Orlando Magic.
Butler took part in the Heat’s shootaround that morning in preparation for that Jan. 27 contest. But a league source indicated that Butler left shootaround during the late stages of the session, while players were shooting individually, after he was informed that he was not going to start.
This action led to Butler’s third team-issued suspension without pay, this time for an indefinite period of time lasting at least five games.
The Heat announced that indefinite suspension on Monday through a press release that said: “The Miami Heat are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games. The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”
According to multiple sources, Butler’s relationship with the team took a turn this past offseason when Heat president Pat Riley challenged Butler publicly during his season-ending news conference and the Heat declined to give Butler a two-year, $113 million contract extension.
Butler, 35, averaged 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 54 percent from the field in 25 games for the Heat this season prior to the trade.
The ugly ending to their relationship doesn’t change the fact that Butler established himself as one of the greatest players in Heat history during his time in Miami.
Butler, who was traded by the Heat in the middle of his sixth season with the franchise, helped lead the Heat to three Eastern Conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals appearances since joining the team during the 2019 offseason. He was selected for two NBA All-Star Games and made an All-NBA team three times during his first five seasons with the Heat before being dealt to the Warriors this season.
Butler ends his Heat career among the franchise’s all-time career leaders in categories like two-point makes (10th), free throws made (third), free-throw attempts (fourth), assists (eighth), steals (eighth) and points (eighth). He’s also the Heat’s all-time leader in regular-season triple-doubles with 13.
As for the Heat’s all-time playoff records, Butler ranks third in points, third in assists and third in steals behind only Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in each category. Butler also has the most 40-plus point playoff performances (eight) and the only 50-plus point playoff performance in Heat history.
Now, the Heat and Butler part ways after a successful run together that featured an unfortunate and messy ending. But they’ll meet again when the Warriors face the Heat in Miami on March 25.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM.
