Warriors, Heat Updated Rosters, Salary Cap After Jimmy Butler Trade
February 6, 2025
Just over a month after he first requested a trade, Jimmy Butler is finally on the move.
The Miami Heat traded their disgruntled star to the Golden State Warriors, per ESPN's Shams Charania. In a five-team deal, the Heat landed Andrew Wiggins and P.J. Tucker, per NBA insider Chris Haynes. Golden State sent Dennis Schröder to the Utah Jazz, per Charania. Charania also noted that Miami landed Kyle Anderson in the deal.
The Warriors have had a rough start to the season, but are hoping the move for Butler will pay off. Meanwhile, the Heat are likely just happy to get a solid return for Butler.
Following the trade, here's a look at Golden State and Miami's updated rosters.
Golden State Warriors Depth Chart
- PG: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Pat Spencer
- SG: Buddy Hield, Gary Payton II, Lindy Waters III
- SF: Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, Gui Santos
- PF: Draymond Green, Moses Moody
- C: Quinten Post, Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Miami Heat Depth Chart
- PG: Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Alec Burks, Josh Christopher
- SG: Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson
- SF: Andrew Wiggins, Haywood Highsmith
- PF: Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, P.J. Tucker, Kyle Anderson
- C: Kel'el Ware, Kevin Love
The Warriors took a cap hit of $48.798 million and they are now $58.627 million over the cap, per Spotrac. The Heat will add Wiggins' $26.276 million salary and Tucker's $11.539 million salary, putting them at $38.121 million over the cap, per Spotrac.
Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42Impact in Golden State<br><br>Players under contract: 11<br><br>Below the first apron: $1.8M*<br><br>*If Butler waives his $418K trade bonus<br><br>The Warriors can fill out their roster and remain below the first apron.<br><br>However, the timing of each signing is critical.
While the Warriors had to give up a hefty haul, they still managed to stay below the first apron, giving them a bit more financial flexibility. The Heat are above the first apron but still sit $8.254 million below the second apron, per Spotrac.
The trade for Butler has been a month in the making, though the Warriors weren't always the favorite. In fact, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday that Butler "communicated to the Warriors that he's unwilling to sign an extension."
It's unclear at this point if Butler's stance changed and he's now willing to sign an extension with Golden State or if the Warriors just decided to trade for him anyway knowing he might leave at the end of the season.
Either way, Golden State will hope to get the most out of the six-time All-Star this season as it looks to make a playoff push. The Warriors are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference at 25-24, desperate for a spark to change the course of their season.
Butler hasn't been quite as productive as normal, putting up 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists, though he's played just 25 games. He was also clearly unhappy in Miami, so perhaps a change of scenery will help him return to All-Star form.
The Heat likely would have preferred to keep Butler, but given they had little option but to trade him, they came out of the deal in a decent position. Wiggins has put up similar numbers to Butler, but Miami is getting him at a significantly cheaper rate. The trade also gives the Heat more financial flexibility as they prepare to potentially add a big free agent this offseason.
Before Miami focuses on the offseason, it will look to stay in the playoff race without Butler. The Heat are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference at 24-24.