It is not often that Stephen A. Smith admits that he was wrong on air, making it noteworthy every time he does. On the Sunday edition of ‘NBA Countdown’ Smith made the rare admission by saying he misjudged Jimmy Butler’s fit with the Golden State Warriors at the 2025 NBA trade deadline.
Smith said he initially believed Butler was a bad fit with the team due to his conflicting play style with the Warriors’ longtime star, Stephen Curry. He acknowledged the greatness of Butler, but said he still sees the team as “undersized.”
“I think I was wrong when I first spoke about [the Jimmy Butler trade],” Smith said. “[When it happened], I looked at Jimmy Butler, and I said, ‘We know what a big-time player he is, particularly in the postseason, but does he mesh with Steph [Curry]?” And I didn’t see that. I still see them as undersized.”
“I think I was wrong.”@stephenasmith is shifting his perspective on Jimmy Butler and the Warriors this season
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— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 23, 2025
However, after deliberation, Smith sees the trade as beneficial to both Butler and the Warriors. He singled out one particular aspect of Butler’s game that he believes benefits Curry the most at this stage of his career.
“[But] here’s what I’ve noticed… Jimmy Butler is averaging 20 [points] and six [rebounds]. He is averaging over nine free throws per game… When you have a guy who can get to the free-throw line as frequently as Jimmy Butler, what happens is you’re giving [Curry] a break without having to sit. That, to me, makes Golden State very potent.”
Warriors’ notable improvements since Jimmy Butler trade
Golden State acquired Butler at the deadline from the Miami Heat in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a 2025 first-round pick. Head coach Steve Kerr was openly upset with the team moving Wiggins, but the Warriors have noticeably looked much improved with Butler on the court.
In his first five games with the team, Butler has led the Warriors to a 4-1 run. As their de facto power forward, he is currently averaging 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. With him on the court, the notoriously perimeter-based Warriors have a legitimate elite paint threat for the first time in over a decade.
Despite both being at the end of their careers, Butler and Curry have seamlessly meshed on the court. Both are typically used to being the focal point of an offense but are also historically unselfish. Since Butler’s debut, Curry has scored over 20 points in all five games, including four with more than 25.
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