As some of the most successful teams in their respective conferences in recent seasons, the Warriors and Heat both experienced setbacks last season. The Heat's unresolved issues with Jimmy Butler's contract expiration escalated, causing their record to plummet, making them eager to trade Butler.
Meanwhile, the Warriors, after missing the playoffs in the 2023-24 season, struggled to find their winning form in the 2024-25 season, even dropping to the bottom of the Western Conference at one point, their situation precarious. Both teams were forced to seek trades, aiming to strengthen their rosters before the trade deadline.
In fact, the Warriors initially hoped to trade for and bring back former championship contributor Kevin Durant, but Durant was unwilling to return to Golden State. However, the trade was already in its final stages, so at the last minute they facilitated a deal with the Heat, using Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Lee as trade bait to acquire Jimmy Butler.
At the time, this trade seemed like a lose-lose situation, and the fact that both teams were eliminated early in the playoffs seemed to confirm this. But now, less than six months later, both teams are ranked third in the Eastern Conference and seventh in the Western Conference, respectively, with the two players' performances proving crucial, creating a win-win situation. Let's take a look at how these two All-Star forwards have performed this season!
Andrew Wiggins
This season's stats: 17.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals
First, let's talk about Wiggins. As one of the key contributors to the Warriors' 2022 championship, Wiggins has replaced Klay Thompson as the Warriors' second-best player. However, due to family reasons and injuries, Wiggins' performance fluctuated after the 2022 championship. In the 2023-24 season, he had a career-worst average of 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
But considering that Wiggins has never suffered a major injury in his entire NBA career and has indeed provided significant help to the team, coupled with his 4-year, $109 million contract, which is extremely cost-effective, the Warriors have been reluctant to trade him. In the 2024-25 season, Wiggins' performance recovered somewhat, with his average stats returning to 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. However, due to the team's lack of improvement in performance, the Warriors had no choice but to reluctantly trade him to the Heat.
Upon arriving with the Heat, Wiggins' performance was lackluster due to his inability to adapt to the team's system and the change in his role. In the playoffs, he averaged only 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, leading many fans to be pessimistic about his prospects this season. However, it must be said that Coach Spoelstra's tactical development ability is quite good. After acquiring Norman Powell, he transformed Wiggins' role back to his time with the Warriors, undoubtedly placing him in his comfort zone.
This season, Wiggins' form has rebounded, averaging 17.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, with impressive field goal and three-point shooting percentages of 52.7% and 40%, respectively. In a recent game against the Cavaliers, he even delivered a spectacular alley-oop game-winner, signaling his complete resurgence. Considering Wiggins is only 30 years old and has been in excellent form this season, he will likely remain a top-tier championship piece for any team in the future.
Jimmy Butler
This season's stats: 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals
Now let's talk about Butler. As one of the most underrated players in the NBA today, although he didn't lead the Heat to a championship, he helped the team reach the Finals twice, including one "Black Eight" upset, which is enough to prove Butler's worth.
However, last season, while still with the Heat, he was plagued by injuries and had many conflicts with the team, so he only averaged 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, and his efficiency declined significantly. Moreover, he only played 25 games, so from the outside perspective, trading Butler was indeed a wise choice for the Heat. After all, he was already 35 years old at the time. Even if he maintained his excellent form, it would be difficult to replicate his feat of leading the Heat to the NBA Finals again, especially since his contract extension demands were simply too high.
After joining the Warriors, although Butler faced constant criticism from the media and fans due to his two-year, $110 million contract, he helped the Warriors quickly recover from their slump. His ball-handling and ability to draw fouls were precisely what the Warriors desperately needed. His arrival greatly relieved the pressure on Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, ultimately leading to a playoff berth and a historic upset against the young Rockets.
This season, the 36-year-old Butler continues to be highly efficient, consistently averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 50.4% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range, and a plus-minus of +4.9. It now seems that as long as Butler is not plagued by injuries, with his help, this Warriors team may even have a chance to compete for the championship again.
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