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[Saba Sports News] For the first time since the 2025 NBA trade deadline, Jimmy Butler will return to Miami — this time wearing Warriors blue and gold. While the reunion is shaping up to be the headline for Tuesday night’s matchup, Butler isn’t buying into the hype.
Coming off a 124–115 loss to the Hawks, Butler is focused solely on helping Golden State bounce back. A win over his former team? That’s just a footnote to him.
“Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada,” Butler told ESPN. “Yeah, it didn’t end the way people wanted it 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.”
The Heat, meanwhile, are in freefall. They’ve lost 10 straight and haven’t won a game all month. Since Butler’s departure, Miami has gone 4–17, while the Warriors have surged to a 16–4 record and are fighting for a top-four spot in the West.
Butler has faced old squads before — and not quietly. After a messy exit from Minnesota, he helped the Sixers hand the Timberwolves a 42-point beatdown. That time, he admitted it felt personal. But Tuesday night? He says it’s just business.
Still, it won’t be a walk in the park. Despite their slide, the Heat still lead the league in fewest free-throw attempts allowed — a stat that could frustrate Butler, who thrives at the line.
And even though Miami hasn’t won in weeks, they beat the Warriors by 16 in their last meeting — a game Butler missed while serving a team-issued suspension. Nikola Jovic stepped up in his absence with 20 points off the bench.
As Golden State looks to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in the Butler era, they’ll need to treat this one as more than just another game — even if Butler won’t.