NBA stars Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins traded places this season, and they faced their former teams for the first time on Tuesday in Miami.
Wiggins scored 10 points as he helped the Miami Heat (31–41) roll the Golden State Warriors 112–86 at the Kaseya Center. Butler had 11 points for the Warriors as he played in front of the Heat crowd for the first time following a long contract standoff with the franchise that led to the trade in February. Wiggins said he sensed a little more energy from his new teammates because of it.
“You can, you know, sense it on both sides,” Wiggins said. “Obviously, when you play a former teammate or, you know, former team, there’s always the extra little motivation.”
The Heat played a tribute video for Butler, who led the team to a pair of NBA Finals appearances during his nearly six years in Miami. Butler’s warm welcome nonetheless ended with him walking off the court afterward without talking to Heat players amid the loss, but he acknowledged that he visited with former Heat teammates Kevin Love and Tyler Herro.
“I’m going out there playing basketball,” Butler later added. “I haven’t talked to the guys—it’s not a bad thing—in a long time. I mean it [the trade] was behind me a long time ago. As soon as I ended up a Golden State Warrior, everything that had went on, it was dead.”
Butler admitted that the change in routine as a visitor this time around was different. However, Butler was a visitor to the Heat during the first eight years of his career amid stints with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers.
“I guess I was confused a little bit but then I think I figured it out,” Butler said. “I haven’t been on this side in a minute. Haven’t pulled into that [visitor] entrance in a while, but it looks like I’m going to be doing that for the next couple years.”
Butler has a two-year deal of $110.95 million with the Warriors until 2028 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He previously had a three-year, $146.39 million deal with the Heat before the trade.
His time in Miami dwindled this season amid missed games and suspensions. Butler only played in 25 games for the Heat and averaged 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in that span.
“I mean [we’re] good,” Butler said about his relationship with the Heat. “We didn’t win. Yeah, I don’t think we played the style of basketball that we wanted to play that we talked about playing at the same time.”
“But like I said, it’s another one, so it didn’t go in the win column. [It] went in the loss column, but it’s like any other time,” Butler said. “We got to bounce back because we can’t let this thing spiral out of control. We got to get going in New Orleans, and they’ve been playing incredibly well.”
Golden State (41–31) lost a second-straight game on the six-game road trip that concludes with an April 3 showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers (43–28). New Orleans (20–53) has won two of its past four games.
“Definitely got to get that one,” Butler said.
Miami won a second-straight game in search of a late-season burst in hopes of making the playoffs.
