Golden State Warriors

Prior to being traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors last month, star forward Jimmy Butler's preferred destination was widely known to be the Phoenix Suns.

However, Butler explained to The Athletic's Anthony Slater that his initial hesitance to be sent to the Warriors stemmed from his lack of a relationship with Golden State's players. His familiarity with Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Tyus Jones initially made Phoenix a more attractive landing spot.

"I wasn’t skeptical of coming here," Butler said. "I just didn’t talk to anybody. … I knew I was going to get this contract no matter what. The people keep talking about it being about the money. How can it be about the money when any team that traded for me, what were they going to do? I just want to win. Where can I go to win?"

Upon his acquisition, Butler signed a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Warriors, aligning him with star players Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to compete for an NBA championship over the next few years. Curry, who already led the franchise to four titles, admitted that he felt some reluctance when approached about the possibility of acquiring Butler.

"With any deal, you question it," Curry said. "Even when KD came, it was like, you don’t know what it’s going to look like. We came into it positive, but you still had to see it. That uncomfortability is good because it challenges everyone to talk through it, come with the right preparation."

Butler's arrival provided Golden State with a much-needed injection of new energy, as the team is 16-3 in the 19 games he's played and ranks sixth in the Western Conference with a 41-30 record. Both Curry and Butler spoke glowingly of their experiences as they continue to embrace their new partnership.

"I can only speak for this environment because I only know this environment and I helped create this environment," Curry said. "If (quirky habits) bother you, if that’s something that is distracting, then you’re worried about the wrong stuff. Professionals show up and play. And that’s all we ask of everybody who is in here. We’ve had our challenges throughout the years. We’ve seen certain, you know, episodes or what not. But if you show up to play, I have zero problems."

"He real real," Butler said of Curry. "Good dude. Talks. He’s always trying to help everybody be great. Laughs. Wants to have a good time. Loves the game. Loves to compete. Loves to win. But he is the guy. He is the man. He is everything everybody says of him. More than anything, he’s just nice. I’m not talking about on the court. He’s just genuinely a good human being. To everybody. It’s very, very, very refreshing. Because he doesn’t have to be that way."

Adding Butler gives the Warriors a window of title contention that will be open for the next few years, and the team is content with its current short-term outlook rather than worrying about the distant future.

"The contracts are all lined up with a defined timeline," Curry said. "You never know what will happen. But that’s not by accident. So I don’t think anyone’s worried about anything other than right now. We have this year and next year to go for it all. Whatever happens after that is the nature of the NBA. We don’t think too far beyond that."

The Golden State Warriors front office deliberated multiple approaches to Jimmy Butler's contract situation before signing him to a two-year extension, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

Slater reported Monday that team officials "debated whether they should either hold off on an extension offer or negotiate it below the max."

As the most influential voice, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. "vouched for Butler, the player and person, and convinced ownership the financial pledge would prove worth it—a motivated Butler would view it as a signal of belief."

Butler got $111 million for the next two seasons, which is the deal he originally sought from the Miami Heat before their relationship broke down.

The six-time All-Star might've left some money on the table by signing a new contract now instead of waiting until the offseason. If he had declined his player option with the Heat and signed with another team, he could've collected as much as $171 million over three years.

Golden State's decision still presents some risk. Butler turned 35 in September and his 2024-25 performance reinforces the notion his game is declining. Through 19 games with the Warriors, he's averaging 17.6 points on 43.8 percent shooting, including just 22.7 percent on three-pointers.

Acquiring Butler was basically Dunleavy's last roll of the dice in terms of chasing another championship with Stephen Curry, and he may not be the piece who puts Golden State over the top. If that's the case, then the franchise is pretty much stuck.

But the Warriors have also watched the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers all come to regret losing Butler. His standoffs with Miami and Minnesota showed how quickly he can make a situation untenable when he grows dissatisfied.

It's fair to say Butler was Dunleavy's second choice at best considering Golden State made an unsuccessful run at Kevin Durant.

That's all water under the bridge now because the Warriors GM wrote a check that should keep Butler happy during his time in the Bay Area.

Jimmy Butler's Miami coffee shop had some fun at the expense of the Golden State Warriors prior to an upcoming matchup between the star forward and his former team.

Butler posted an image on his Instagram story of a card explaining that all coffee sold to Warriors employees will be $30.

Butler suited up for the Miami Heat in each of the previous five seasons before he requested a trade from the organization on Jan. 2. He was eventually dealt to the Warriors in a massive five-team swap prior to the Feb. 6 deadline, with the Heat receiving a package headlined by Andrew Wiggins and a protected 2025 first-round pick.

The six-time All-Star has thrived following the change of scenery, averaging 17.6 points and 6.5 assists to go along with 6.1 rebounds per game in 19 appearances following the trade. He's also shooting 43.8 percent from the field.

In Butler's 19 games played, the Warriors are 16-3 and sit at No. 6 in the Western Conference standings with a 41-30 record on the season.

Miami has struggled since moving Butler, owning a 29-41 record. The Heat have been defeated in 10 straight games, representing the NBA's longest active losing streak.

Butler will face off against his old team for the first time since the trade on Tuesday, with the Warriors traveling to play the Heat in Miami.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Golden State Warriors will sign forward Kevin Knox to a contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Knox opened the year with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's G League affiliate, before signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the team starting on Feb. 19.

The No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft appeared in seven contests with Golden State, averaging 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game.

He shot 45.8 percent from the field in his seven appearances while hitting just 27.3 percent of his attempts from behind the arc, but he connected on 43.9 percent of his threes in the G League.

Knox was briefly off the Warriors' roster after his second 10-day deal expired, allowing them to save cap space before they were required to have at least 14 players on NBA contracts once again (h/t Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area).

The 25-year-old opened his career with the New York Knicks, averaging 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds on a nightly basis as a rookie. Efficiency and defensive issues have prevented him from finding a consistent role in the association, as he's played for five teams throughout his seven years in the NBA.

Knox owns career averages of 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game on 39.2/34.0/72.3 shooting splits.

He's looked comfortable in a depth role for a Golden State team that owns a 13-2 record to go along with the No. 2 net rating in the league over its past 15 games (via NBA.com).

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praised Knox following his first appearance with the team on Feb. 21.

“So proud of Kevin,” Kerr said, per Johnson. “He’s been through a lot, coming around and committing to his time in Santa Cruz and getting better and improving. I think he can help us. He only got in for a few minutes at the end, but you see the talent. I have no doubt that there’s going to be some games where we put him out there and he’s going to help.”

As Golden State battles for playoff positioning in the Western Conference standings, Knox will reportedly stick with the organization for the rest of the season.

The Golden State Warriors faced the daunting task of going against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday without their star in Stephen Curry.

So Draymond Green responded as the defensive star that he is and led the team to a 104-93 victory.

"He's the best defender I've ever seen," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I mean, you see the pick-and-roll with Dame. If he's in it, he kind of does this fake blitz thing with his speed, with his anticipation. He forces Dame back out towards halfcourt and he's able to get back. The speed and recovery with Draymond is just stunning. 

"And then the brain that goes with it. If he's on the weak side, he's constantly coming over to help. He's one of the great defenders of all time, and he's still doing it at a high level."

That is particularly high praise coming from Kerr, who has been around the game for decades as a player and coach. He was even teammates with notable star defenders such as Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan, among others, during that playing career.

But it didn't stop Kerr from calling Green the best he's ever seen on that end of the floor.

The eight-time All-Defensive selection had just three points against Milwaukee but dominated in other ways with 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. He guarded Antetokounmpo at times and made a number of momentum-swinging plays on the defensive side.

"I think you have to respect the hell out of what he does, and it's so hard to do," teammate Jimmy Butler, who is also known for his defensive prowess, said. "To shoot the ball, I don't know, four times maybe, if that, and then just lock in on defense every possession down and get mad when anybody scores—not just the guy he's guarding—you don't find that around the league too often. 

"He has won at this level. He is a Hall of Famer for a reason. I just respect what he brings to this squad, what he brings to this locker room and how he affects winning in every single way."

Green is an eight-time All-Defensive selection and is widely considered one of the best players on that end in his generation. Yet he has just one Defensive Player of the Year award during his illustrious career.

Perhaps he will get a second this season, as he looked more than worthy of it against Milwaukee.

Kerr certainly believes he deserves it.

Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler feels "wanted" and "appreciated" by the organization, per comments made to Jake Fischer for The Stein Line newsletter.

"I am wanted here. I'm appreciated here. I'm grateful that [president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr.] saw what I could bring to this organization and this team," Butler said.

The Warriors acquired Butler from the Miami Heat in February as part of a massive five-team deal that involved eight other players and seven draft picks. He then declined a 2025-26 player option and signed a two-year, $121 million extension through the 2026-27 season.

Golden State has since gone 15-2 with Butler on the court, good enough to vault the team to sixth in the Western Conference with a 40-29 mark.

Butler did not leave Miami on good terms, to say the least. He was suspended on three different occasions in Miami (seven games, two games, indefinite). The indefinite suspension was in response to him walking out of a practice after learning that he would be taken out of the starting lineup.

Butler had previously told reporters that he lost his joy playing basketball with the Heat, who had the opportunity to offer him a two-year, $113 million extension last summer but decided against it, per Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Butler and the Heat clearly weren't on the same page all season, but now he's gotten a fresh start in Golden State, a team that was in desperate need of a shake-up after a mediocre 25-26 start pre-Butler trade. Now the Warriors look like they could be a championship contender.

Better yet, the good times figure to keep rolling, with each of Golden State's next five opponents all sporting losing records. One of them is the Heat, who have lost eight straight games to fall to 29-39.

Butler and the Warriors look to keep up their winning ways when they host the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is making sure everyone knows he wants his name in the mix for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday's 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Green said "1 million percent I have a case" to be honored as the top defensive player this season:

"Obviously, if we keep winning and close this year out strong, most definitely. I look around the league and don't see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do. I don't see many players completely throwing off an entire team's offense the way I do. One thousand percent.

"Especially with Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] going down, seemed like he had it won. And now it is right there. So 1 million percent I have a case, and I will continue to build that case for these next 13 games. Tonight was a prime example of that."

Green certainly made a great case for himself against the Bucks. He was the primary defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was held to 20 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

The five made field goals for Antetokounmpo, who ranks second in the NBA in scoring average at 30.2 points per game, tied his season low. Golden State was playing without Stephen Curry, who was resting on the second night of a back-to-back.

Green finished the game with four blocks and two steals. He is one of only seven players averaging at least one block and one steal per game.

As Green pointed out, Defensive Player of the Year has become a wide-open race with Victor Wembanyama ineligible to win since he won't reach the 65-game threshold due to a blood clot in his shoulder that ended his season on Feb. 20.

The most likely candidates for the award are Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mobley has the benefit of being the defensive anchor for a team that is tied for the best record in the NBA (56-12) and ranks eighth in defensive rating.

Memphis is 25th in points allowed per game (116.8), but the team plays at such a fast pace that its defensive rating ranks a respectable 10th in the league.

The Warriors' second-half surge since acquiring Jimmy Butler can be attributed to their defense, which is second in rating since Feb. 8. Head coach Steve Kerr has been operating with smaller lineups, which has pushed Green into a role as the center.

Everything the Warriors are doing defensively revolves around Green, and he's been more than up to the challenge. They are only three games behind the Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers in the race for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.

If the Warriors can make up that difference over the final 13 games in the regular season, with the defense remaining as strong as it has been, Green will only enhance his case to win Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will not suit up for Tuesday's marquee matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Following Monday's 114-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Curry looked "tired" and that he could rest him against the Bucks.

"He's tired," Kerr said. "Steph's been carrying us for a month. He's been amazing. He's tired, so we got to get him some rest. Just you can see it. He doesn't have his energy right now."

Kerr added: "He's exhausted right now. So we've got to absolutely consider giving him a night and getting him rejuvenated for the sake of him and the remainder of our games. But we'll see. I think he's been tired the last few games, and so we've got to find a way to get him his juice back."

The Warriors listed Curry as questionable going into the Nuggets game due to a lower back strain. He wound up playing 36 minutes, scoring 20 points on 6-of-21 shooting.

In his last five games, Curry is shooting just 37.2 percent from the field with nearly as many turnovers (4.0) as assists (4.8) per contest. He has played in 22 straight games dating back to Jan. 29.

To his credit, Curry said after Monday's loss he feels "fine" physically.

"Obviously I didn't play great at all, so everybody including Coach is going to try to figure out why," he said. "Mostly the turnovers, dumb plays all night, but I had a really good run. You expect to have a level of consistency and whatnot, so when it doesn't happen it becomes a question. I feel like [it is] more so my back I was dealing with the last couple of days, see how that responds tomorrow, but otherwise feel pretty solid."

Curry has been banged up at times this season, with his most significant injury being a sprained ankle that kept him out for three games from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2.

The two-time NBA MVP most recently sat out Golden State's 114-103 win over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 28. It was the first night of a back-to-back, though he has played both ends of a back-to-back three times since then.

The Warriors have put themselves squarely in the mix for a playoff spot since acquiring Jimmy Butler prior to the trade deadline. They are 14-3 since Feb. 8, with Monday's loss snapping a seven-game winning streak.

As long as Curry doesn't have to miss an extended period of time, the Warriors should be fine. He leads the team in scoring average (24.3 points per game), assists (6.1) and is shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range.

Butler will be the driving force for the offense with Curry out of the lineup. The Warriors are going to struggle to find three-point shooting without Curry, but they have enough talent to stay above water against the Bucks if he does end up sitting out.

Topps has immortalized Stephen Curry after the Golden State Warriors superstar became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 career three-pointers.

The card manufacturer unveiled a one-of-one autographed Curry card that commemorates his latest historic achievement.

Curry entered Thursday's game against the Sacramento Kings needing two three-pointers to reach 4,000. He hit the mark early in the third quarter to help the Warriors in the 130-104 win.

"It was a weird night because we all knew I was two away," Curry told reporters after the win. "Made the first one in the first quarter off a transition, [Jonathan Kuminga] made a great pass. Sacramento was playing that gimmicky defense all game where they were literally face-guarding me, top-locking, and nothing was clean about it."

Curry became the first player in NBA history with 3,000 career threes in December 2021. James Harden has since joined the 3,000 club, but he's still 873 behind Curry entering Friday.

While it's unclear what the value of the Curry card is going to be, Topps recently had a lot of success with a Paul Skenes one-of-one Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card reached $660,000 in early bidding after being put up for auction by a collector.

In 2021, an alternative asset platform acquired a majority of the one-of-one 2009 Steph Curry Rookie Logoman card as part of a record $5.9 million sale price.

Curry only finished the game against the Kings with 11 points, tied for his third-lowest output of the season. The Warriors have now won a season-high six straight games.

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 career three-pointers after hitting a 27-footer at home against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter on Thursday.

"It's a clear milestone threshold," Curry said before the game about the achievement, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "A number that I didn't think about, that it was realistic even from 2,974, which is a number that means the most because that was the record at the time. It's beyond my wildest dreams to push a record that far."

Curry's three-pointer gave the Warriors a 72-63 lead with 8:19 remaining in the frame.

The two-time NBA MVP entered the evening with 3,998 made three-pointers, easily No. 1 all time. Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden is the only other NBA player to make 3,000 or more (3,127 as of Thursday).

For the season, Curry has averaged a team-high 24.5 points per game alongside 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He's shot 44.8 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three.

Entering Thursday, Curry had been exceptional over his last seven games, averaging 32.9 PPG. That stretch included 56 points against the Orlando Magic and 40 more versus the Brooklyn Nets.

Golden State entered the evening as winners of 10 of 11 games to turn a 27-27 record into a 37-28 mark, good enough for sixth place in the Western Conference.

The Warriors still have some work to do to qualify for the playoffs, but Golden State has been excellent after acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat and look destined to continue that momentum.

So chances are that Curry, who is also the leader in postseason career three-pointers (618), will extend that record as well.