NBA Pacific

Jimmy Butler is undefeated as a Golden State Warrior.

Butler and Stephen Curry combined for 59 points in their first game together to lead the Warriors to a 132-111 Saturday night comeback win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Warriors trailed by as many as 24 points before the team's new star duo stepped up and turned the night into a blowout win.

Unbelievable debut of the new-look Warriors 😤

🔵Jimmy Butler: 25 PTS | 4 AST | 58% FG
🟡Steph Curry: 34 PTS (24 in just Q3) | 6 AST

No. 30 🤝 No. 10 pic.twitter.com/I5fKKSquWK

— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 9, 2025

Steph Curry has not smiled like this since the beginning of the season. Thank you, Jimmy Butler 🙌🏾#Dubnation    #Warriors pic.twitter.com/jD1QF3KCo7

— 14-3/48-34 (@TheSkolWarrior) February 9, 2025

Jimmy Butler just scored the most points in a Warriors debut since … Kevin Durant

— dre (@OnBallSteph) February 9, 2025

Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler tonight pic.twitter.com/DarRroKPas

— E ☀️ (@DubMnE) February 9, 2025

Jimmy butler comes and all of sudden curry looks like curry again lol Yall said he was washed tho

— Pooh 👹 (@Bounc5ack9800) February 9, 2025

Steph back

Jimmy back

Warriors up

— Jae🏀 (@Havoc1893019) February 9, 2025

First game Jimmy drops 25 and Steph drops 34. They win by 20+. lol

It’s over. 🤣🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

— Lady Friends is out now! ☎️😻 (@Noah_Nova) February 9, 2025

Butler's opening basket as a Warrior came on a first-quarter alley-oop.

Jimmy Butler's FIRST bucket with the Dubs makes is a SLAM 💥

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/YQnm7osSbg

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 9, 2025

A slow second quarter, which included the Warriors allowing 18 unanswered points by the Bulls, left the visitors staring down a 14-point deficit at the half.

That was when Curry stepped up with a 24-point third quarter to pull Golden State back in front.

MY GOODNESS STEPH CURRY IS COOKING 🍳🍳

TURNS AROUND BEFORE THE SHOT FALLS AND HE HAS 19 PTS IN THE THIRD 🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/yUntd9py95

— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025

Butler then helped the Warriors wrap up the win by making four of his 11 free throws in the fourth quarter.

JIMMY BUTLER TOUGH REVERSE LAY 😤

IMMEDIATELY FINDS STEPH CELEBRATING ON THE SIDELINE. pic.twitter.com/xselBgHZbs

— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025

Butler closed out the victory with 25 points after going 11-for-13 from the foul line. The Warriors have struggled to get to the free-throw line this season, an issue fans hope is being solved after Butler set a new record for free throws made in a debut game with the franchise.

Curry led the Warriors with 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, making eight of his 16 attempts from behind the arc and marking a third straight outing with at least 30 points.

Quinten Post contributed 18 points in his sixth NBA start, while Buddy Hield added 14 points and Draymond Green made three steals in the win. The Bulls were led by Coby White's 27 points.

The Warriors improved to 26-26 with the win, leapfrogging the Sacramento Kings— at least for now— for the final play-in spot in the West.

Given that adding Butler at the trade deadline was followed by one of Curry's best quarters of the season, Warriors fans may now have more reason to hope their team can hold on to a top-10 spot down the stretch.

The Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams was rescinded on Saturday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Lakers say the Mark Williams/Dalton Knecht trade has been rescinded.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025

The trade was conditional on Mark Williams and Dalton Knecht reporting and passing a physical.

Because the deadline has passed, the trade was not allowed to be amended.

Williams goes back to Charlotte

Knecht/Cam Reddish to LAL

The draft conditions: 2030 swap and 2031…

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 9, 2025

The Lakers announced that the trade was rescinded "due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade," per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Los Angeles initially agreed to acquire Williams from Charlotte in exchange for rookie Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap prior to Thursday's trade deadline.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne noted that the Lakers "needed to feel confident he'd be healthy enough to be their starting center for the next 5-10 years" but did not believe that Williams would be able to do so following the physical.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by health issues since the Hornets selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

Williams appeared in just 43 games as a rookie due to an ankle sprain as well as a thumb injury that eventually required surgery. He was also limited to 19 games during the 2023-24 season due to a back injury.

Williams has played in 23 games to open his 2024-25 campaign, missing time with foot and back issues. Charania noted that his back injury wasn't the reason behind his failed physical, though.

It's disappointing for Los Angeles that the trade fell through, but the team still had a successful trade deadline. The Lakers pulled off one of the most shocking swaps in NBA history, acquiring Luka Dončić in a three-team deal involving the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.

Knecht should also continue to thrive while playing off Dončić and LeBron James, as he averaged 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on 46.5/35.8/82.5 shooting splits to start his rookie year.

Jaxson Hayes will likely continue to operate as Los Angeles' starting center moving forward.

As the Lakers prepare for the debut of Dončić, Williams will be heading back to Charlotte.

Despite dealing with injuries to multiple star players, the Los Angeles Lakers still defeated the Indiana Pacers by the final score of 124-117 at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

Indiana cut the Lakers' lead to just five points with roughly one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, but a lob from Shake Milton to Rui Hachimura helped seal the win.

Rui Hachimura throws down the exclamation point on the Lakers' 5th straight victory!

That's 11 wins in 13 games for LA 👀 pic.twitter.com/EikC29eM8d

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2025

Los Angeles emerged victorious due to the heroics of Austin Reaves, who scored a career-high 45 points. Reaves shot 14-26 from the field, hitting four of his nine attempts from behind the arc.

Austin Reaves has as many 45-point games as Magic Johnson. pic.twitter.com/1p58U7YmMV

— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 8, 2025

AUSTIN REAVES NEW CAREER-HIGH 39 PTS 🚨🚨

LEBRON IS LOVING IT AND FANS ARE BOWING DOWN!! pic.twitter.com/UiApYEsXZM

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2025

He also racked up seven assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

The short-handed Lakers were without LeBron James and Luka Dončić due to ankle and calf issues, respectively. Both players are expected to suit up against the Utah Jazz on Monday, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Los Angeles was still able to secure an impressive win over a Pacers team that won 13 of their previous 16 games entering Saturday's matchup.

Fans were impressed with the win while looking forward to the pairing of James and Dončić.

How are teams gonna be able to guard LeBron, Luka and Reaves??? Also Mark Williams as your center lolol

— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) February 8, 2025

The next time we watch Lakers basketball, Luka Doncic and LeBron James will share the court as teammates.

— Drew Velez (@haaaaandrew) February 8, 2025

Pretty pumped to watch Luka and Reaves play together

If LeBron/Reaves was any indication it should be seamless

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 8, 2025

Reaves as the swing-swing decision maker is going to wreck defenses when he’s out there with LeBron and Luka https://t.co/8cNiHdPmz8

— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) February 8, 2025

Can’t wait to see Luka and Lebron finally get on the court together…

— Uncle Stan (@UncleStanBoogie) February 8, 2025

LFG. Lakers W💜💛 No LeBron or Luka. #LakeShow can’t wait for Monday

— Justin 🐺 (@Justin123la) February 8, 2025

LeBron, Luka and Reaves + shooting, size and athleticism…

The Lakers have themselves a squad
👀🔥 #LakeShow

— Omar Garibay (@Omargaribay8) February 8, 2025

Hachimura also made his presence felt, finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds on 61.5/66.7/100 shooting splits.

Meanwhile, Jaxson Hayes pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds and recorded two blocks.

Pacers star Pascal Siakam struggled with his efficiency throughout the contest, scoring 23 points on 6-15 shooting. He also missed both of his three-point attempts.

As the Lakers prepare to debut the duo of James and Dončić, they improved to 31-19 with their victory over the Pacers.

While there may be some skepticism about Luka Dončić and LeBron James teaming up in Los Angeles, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle believes the duo is poised for success.

"I don't see any world in which it doesn't work great," Carlisle said per Spectrum's Mike Trudell. "We're talking about two guys who when they came into the world and started playing basketball were expected to have statues built for them. The level of expectation on these two guys is hard to fathom."

Carlisle, who coached the Dallas Mavericks from 2008 to 2021, spent three seasons guiding Dončić and had a front-row seat to his rise, including his Rookie of the Year campaign.

"As I was around Luka more and more, I became more aware of the kind of pressure that must be on him. He has such charisma, ability, skill … he goes into a game and just decides how it's going to be played," Carlisle said, per Trudell. "LeBron does the exact same way."

The 23-year veteran coach has experienced success at the highest level, including an NBA championship in 2011 alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

We really live in a world where LeBron James & Luka Doncic are teammates 😭 pic.twitter.com/PBRMJjh4Mm

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 5, 2025

Just a week ago, Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to Dallas. The move stunned the basketball world as the Mavericks parted ways with their franchise cornerstone after seven seasons.

The trade was orchestrated behind the scenes as Dallas general manager Nico Harrison aimed to strengthen the team's defense by acquiring Davis, a three-time All-Defensive First Team selection.

"I believe that defense wins championships," Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future."

Dončić has been averaging 28.1 points per game this season in addition to 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists while shooting 46.4 percent from the field. James, in his 22nd season, is averaging 24.1 points per game, 7.8 rebounds and 9.0 assists while shooting 51.63 percent from the field.

Dončić has yet to make his debut in purple and gold, as he has been sidelined since Christmas Day after suffering a left calf strain.

He is eyeing a return for the Lakers' home game against the Utah Jazz on Monday after resuming 5-on-5 play during the team's practice last week, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski is hitting the court for the 2025 NBA Rising Stars Game at All-Star weekend in San Francisco.

The league announced that the second-year Warrior will serve as an injury replacement for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace. Podziemski will be on Team T, which is being coached by Warriors icon Tim Hardaway.

Golden State @warriors guard Brandin Podziemski will replace injured Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace on Team T in the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars. Wallace is unable to participate because of a right shoulder strain.

Castrol Rising Stars honorary head coaches Tim Hardaway… pic.twitter.com/z6AA6KsM7T

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 8, 2025

Wallace is missing the game due to a right shoulder strain.

Podziemski is averaging 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 38 games for Golden State so far this season. He has served in a bench role, making 10 starts and averaging 24.7 minutes per night.

Team T will consist of Podziemski, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, Gradey Dick, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr.

The other teams consisting of NBA players will be coached by Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond. The G-League representatives will be coached by Jeremy Lin.

The four teams will square off in a bracket-style tournament, with the winner advancing to the new All-Star Game tournament on Sunday.

The 2025 NBA Rising Stars Challenge is set for Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET.

Jimmy Butler's debut with the Golden State Warriors will come against a familiar foe.

The team announced that Butler will make his first appearance for the Warriors on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls. Butler spent the first six seasons of his career in the Windy City.

https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1888274090739593494

Golden State acquired Butler Wednesday night from the Miami Heat in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a first-round pick, while Dennis Schröder went to the Utah Jazz and was ultimately rerouted to the Detroit Pistons. As part of the agreement, Butler landed a two-year, $111 million extension with the Warriors.

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This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss Saturday's matinee against the Indiana Pacers with left ankle soreness, the team announced.

Luka Dončić, who is nearing the end of his calf injury rehab, is also out on Saturday but is eyeing Monday against the Utah Jazz for his Lakers debut, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

James has largely been durable this season, appearing in 46 of the Lakers' 49 games to date.

At 40 years old, LeBron is still producing at an elite level, averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds and nearly one steal per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field.

Given that he's listed with ankle soreness rather than a more serious ailment, James figures to be in line to return Monday when Dončić is expected to hit the floor at Crypto.com Arena for the first time as a member of the Purple and Gold.

While Kevin Durant reportedly wasn't interested in a return to the Golden State Warriors, a move to Miami wasn't off the table.

Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that while Durant told the Phoenix Suns he "had no desire" to return to Golden State, he was "open" to being traded to the Heat and that Miami considered pivoting to an entirely different move before Thursday's trade deadline.

"Durant, however, would have been open to playing for the Heat, sources said, so Miami debated cutting the Warriors out completely and dealing Butler to Phoenix for Durant, sources said," Windhorst and Shelburne wrote.

A Warriors source told Windhorst and Shelburne that Durant likely didn't want to return due to "the same reasons he left" and that Golden State would have "been a f--ing circus."

Durant is under contract with the Suns through the 2025-26 season. Windhorst previously reported that there was a "level of concern" about Durant's future and that caused some thoughts of making a deal at the deadline.

He is averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 39 games for the Suns, which sit ninth in the Western Conference at 25-25. Durant will remain the centerpiece of the team's playoff hopes but a trade would have represented at least a partial reset for the franchise by bringing a player like Butler in.

Instead, Butler will attempt to help Stephen Curry and company grab a playoff birth, while Durant and the Suns will hope to keep their pace above Golden State in the West standings. Miami, meanwhile, will look to Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson fill the hole left by Butler.

The Phoenix Suns reportedly found just two teams willing to take on Bradley Beal's $50 million cap hit when testing out potential trades for Jimmy Butler.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, "of all the teams Phoenix canvassed, sources said only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he'd waive his no-trade clause to go there."

The Suns were working to move Beal's cap hit in order to take on Butler's $48.8 million cap hit, but the Heat would not accept Beal in a one-for-one trade, according to Shelburne and Windhorst.

According to Shelburne and Windhorst, the Suns "clung to that hope for weeks" that the Wizards or Hawks would eventually take on Beal's contract.

The Suns were "hoping that if they could somehow improve their package to incentivize these teams to participate, and other trades the Wizards and Hawks were working on fell through, then maybe there would be a path to a deal," according to Shelburne and Windhorst.

It was ultimately the Golden State Warriors who managed to construct a five-team deal to snag Butler from the Heat.

Both the Hawks, who sent out De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović, and the Wizards, who parted ways with Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valančiūnas, were busy at the deadline, but not with anything involving Beal.

Even if the Warriors or Hawks had pursued him, however, it is not clear if Beal would have waived his no-trade clause to join either team.

It has been less than two years since Beal waived his no-trade in order to be dealt by the Wizards, and he again has full control over where he is moved.

Even Beal had waived the clause again for another move at the 2025 deadline, he would again retain trade control for the final two seasons and more than $110 million remaining on his contract. In a previous report, Shelburne and Windhorst wrote that Beal keeping his no-trade clause after a potential move was a "deal-breaker" for "multiple team executives."

The Suns are now set to keep both Beal and Kevin Durant after reportedly shopping both stars at the deadline. After Shelburne reported the reports led to a "toxic" vibe in Phoenix, the Suns will need to work on repairing team chemistry before more trade rumors involving both players inevitably begin this offseason.

Kevin Durant reportedly discussed a potential reunion with the Golden State Warriors on the trade market with Stephen Curry before turning down the change of scenery.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, Durant and Curry discussed teaming up on Feb. 1 after the Warriors were "deep into negotiations" with the Phoenix Suns involving the star forward.

"Durant told him that it didn't 'feel right' and that this 'wasn't the time' to revisit their basketball partnership, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the conversations," Shelburne and Windhorst wrote. "That he was happy in Phoenix and wasn't looking to play elsewhere."

The Suns ultimately retained Durant through Thursday's trade deadline.

As for the Warriors, they quickly pivoted after missing out on the 15-time All-Star.

Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat in a massive five-team trade on Wednesday.

The Warriors subsequently handed Butler a new two-year extension worth $121 million, keeping him with the team through the 2026-27 season.

Windhorst and ESPN's Shams Charania reported that an initial deal was discussed involving Butler landing in Phoenix and Durant coming to Golden State before the former MVP informed the Suns that he didn't want to return to his old stomping grounds.

Curry and Durant were dominant throughout their three-year partnership on the Warriors from the 2016-17 season through the 2018-19 season. They made NBA Finals appearances in every year as teammates, winning two championships before Durant left to join the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.

While Curry and Durant have remained two of the NBA's top offensive players, the struggles of their respective teams to open the 2024-25 season resulted in the reunion proposal.

Curry is averaging 22.7 points and 6.1 assists per game while hitting 38.9 percent of his 10.9 three-point attempts each night, but Golden State owns a mere 25-26 record.

Durant's average of 26.9 points per game ranks No. 6 in the NBA and he's continued to operate as an efficient three-level scorer, shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from behind the arc.

KD'S HESI HAD WEMBY LOST 🥶 pic.twitter.com/EsaeB2Y5vW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 4, 2024

Phoenix only sits at No. 9 in the Western Conference standings with a 25-25 record, though.

While a trade to reunite the two stars on the Warriors would have sent shockwaves throughout the NBA, Durant reportedly told Curry that he wanted to stay put on the Suns.