Ugly NBA standoff finally over as blockbuster four-team trade shakes up title race

After a tense standoff between club and player, Jimmy Butler has finally been granted his trade wish a day before the deadline.

After a tense standoff between club and player, superstar forward Jimmy Butler has finally been granted his trade demand a day before the deadline, with the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors reportedly coming to terms on a trade.

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According to ESPN insider Shams Charania on Thursday afternoon (AEDT), the Heat dealt Butler to the Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson and a protected first-round pick. Veteran forward PJ Tucker will also return to Miami.

Charania added the Warriors’ Lindy Waters III and the Heat’s Josh Richardson are headed to the Detroit Pistons in a three-team arrangement.

Further, Schroder will be re-routed to the Utah Jazz, and while Kyle Anderson was initially headed to the Toronto Raptors from Miami, that part of the deal has since fallen through, per Charania, and he will remain a Heat player for the time being.

Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler.

The 35-year-old Butler, a five-time All-NBA team member and a five-time All-Defensive team member, will sign a two-year, US$121 million (AU$192.7 million) extension with Golden State through 2026-27, which will see Butler decline his 2025-26 player option.

It comes after reports emerged on Thursday that Kevin Durant had no interest in returning to Golden State, who had been desperately working to find a superstar to pair with Steph Curry before the deadline.

“Throughout the last week the Warriors had really focused their attention on Kevin Durant but Kevin Durant has indicated in league circles that he has no desire to go to Golden State and reunite with the Warriors,” Charania told ESPN after reporting the deal.

NBA insider Jake Fischer had even reported that the Warriors discussed a dream scenario which would have seen them land both Durant and LeBron James, although that was always unlikely.

Durant seemed to be the leading candidate to land in Golden State before Thursday’s development, with multiple NBA insiders previously reporting that Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr had hesitations about adding Butler into the mix.

Durant wasn’t interested in returning to the Warriors. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported that Curry had “reservations about Butler’s fit in the Warriors’ locker room”, adding that league sources also said that Kerr had similar hesitations.

Butler, who indicated to the Heat in early January that he wanted a trade and was suspended on three separate occasions since doing so, is an undeniably talented player on the court.

But off the court the story is far more complicated, having clashed with multiple teammates during his time in Chicago while also publicly calling out his head coach at the time, Fred Hoiberg.

Drama followed Butler to Minnesota, where he blew up at teammates, coaches and executives at the now infamous Timberwolves practice session.

In Philadelphia, he “aggressively challenged” Brett Brown during a film session while also criticizing his coach’s playcalling and refused to shoot 3-pointers.

And in his most recent stop in Miami, it wasn’t smooth sailing either. Butler almost single-handedly took the Heat to the championship before falling short against the Nuggets and while his playoffs resume speaks for itself, tensions reached a boiling point earlier this year to the extent that a trade was the necessary next step for both parties.

The 2025 trade deadline is set for Friday, February 7 at 7am (AEDT).

Originally published as Ugly NBA standoff finally over as blockbuster four-team trade shakes up title race