Jimmy Butler is playing down the hype that’s building ahead of his first return to Miami since the Heat traded him.
Acquired by Golden State, Butler’s addition to the Warriors squad has seen the Dubs turn around its fortunes in a hurry. The team is now 16-4 since trading for him (16-3 when he plays).
The Warriors fell to the Atlanta Hawks 124-115 on Saturday night, playing without the injured Steph Curry. Butler finished with 25 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and a steal.
They now travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Tuesday.
“Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada,” Butler said. “Yeah, it didn’t end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada. But that’s so far behind me now. I don’t even think about it. I don’t pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad.”
More Than Just Butler Return For Revenge
While much of the focus will be on Butler’s return to Miami, this will also be Andrew Wiggins’ first chance to go up against his former team.
Wiggins will forever be a hero with the Warriors, winning a championship in 2022 as arguably the team’s second-best player during the title run.
The 30-year-old has averaged 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, as well as a steal and a block in 12 games with Miami. He has missed some time with injury but did have his best game as a Heat on Friday night with 30 points on 13 shots against the Houston Rockets.
Wiggins spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Warriors, overhauling a bad reputation he had developed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Once viewed as one of the worst contracts in the league, Wiggins is viewed as a someone who can be a key contributor to a championship team.
“We got Jimmy over here, I know this is a big game for him,” the Warriors’ Draymond Green said. “They got Wiggs over there. I know it’s a huge game for him. We want to win for Jimmy, they’re going to want to win for Wiggs. We got to come out ready to play.”
