Sometimes it pays to be difficult. Jimmy Butler has proven that after his wish was finally granted Wednesday night.
After a two-month-long saga between Butler and the Heat, the six-time All-Star finally got what he wanted and was dealt to the Warriors. In a four-team trade that landed Butler in one of his initial four preferred destinations, the Heat received Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker and a top-10-protected 2025 first-round pick from the Warriors.
While fans have seen Butler in hypothetical jersey swaps since December, they will not have to wait too long to see the five-time All-NBA selection suit up in the Bay. The Warriors play the Lakers tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET in their third meeting this season.
Will Butler be available? Here’s what to know about his status for the rivalry matchup.
MORE NBA DEADLINE: Live trade tracker | Grading every deal | When trade deadline ends
Is Jimmy Butler playing tonight?
The Warriors have not officially announced the trade and it will not be finalized until Thursday, so Butler won’t likely join the team until it travels to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Bulls.
Due to several team suspensions, Butler has played in five games since Dec. 20 and hasn’t played since Jan. 21, meaning he will likely need a little time to condition and prepare for his Warriors debut.
Despite his absence, Butler told the Heat before the trade deadline that he is “in shape” and “healthy,” per NBA insider Chris Haynes.
TNT analyst Jared Greenberg believes that Butler is trending toward debuting on Saturday against his old Bulls team. The star forward could be on the sideline tonight, but is not expected to play.
Jared Greenberg on Jimmy Butler:
– Flew to Bay from LA for Physical
– Trade not confirmed in league office cause of backlog and complexity
– Could be on Warriors sideline tonight
– Trending for Saturday Debut vs Bulls pic.twitter.com/MQJkPSqpxz— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) February 7, 2025
Warriors schedule 2024-2025
Here are the Warriors final five games before the All-Star break:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Thursday, Feb. 6 | at Lakers | 10 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max |
| Saturday, Feb. 8 | at Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Monday, Feb. 10 | at Bucks | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Wednesday, Feb. 12 | at Mavericks | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Thursday, Feb. 13 | at Rockets | 8 p.m. | — |
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