When the Golden State Warriors made a midseason splash by landing Jimmy Butler, it felt like the franchise was officially announcing it wasn’t ready to close its championship window just yet. 

The Warriors were missing a key piece, and Butler has fit that role perfectly. His arrival hasn’t just boosted the team — it’s also lit a fire under Steph Curry. With their play becoming more balanced and cohesive, they suddenly look like a team that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the Western Conference.

Pre-Trade Puzzles

It wasn’t so long ago that Golden State found itself in a kind of identity crisis. After years of dominating the league behind the Splash Brothers, injuries and roster turnover had begun to dim the luster. Sure, Steph was still launching jaw-dropping shots from the parking lot, but the overall chemistry felt off. The team had a weird blend of grizzled vets looking for one more title and young players trying to find their footing — no one was quite sure if the Warriors were truly competing or just biding time until the next big offseason. 

By the end of January, the record was 24-24. Not terrible, but for a franchise used to racking up 60-win seasons and parading through June, an even split wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence.

Part of the puzzle was whether the Warriors wanted to sacrifice valuable trade pieces — like Andrew Wiggins or even some of their budding talent — to make another serious push. Another part was the reality of staying afloat in the crowded Western Conference, where one week you’re in the playoff picture and the next you’re sliding toward the lottery. Then there was the question of how much Draymond Green could keep anchoring the defense before fatigue or Father Time caught up with him.

Bringing in Butler

On paper, the trade that brought Butler to the Bay cost the Warriors Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and Dennis Schroder. Some fans groaned about losing Wiggins, who had been pivotal in their last championship run. Still, the front office believed that Butler’s intensity and leadership would outweigh any of those concerns. 

From a locker-room perspective, Butler seemed like a perfect match. He’s known for that gritty, no-excuses attitude, having carried underdog teams on his back in Chicago, Minnesota, and Miami. 

Some of the immediate questions were: Would Butler’s hard edge conflict with Curry’s laid-back personality? Would Draymond clash with another alpha in the locker room? The short answer: quite the opposite. The Warriors immediately embraced Butler as a fresh spark. Suddenly, the team had another two-way force who could guard elite wings, take over scoring duties in crunch time, and lighten Curry’s workload so he could stay fresh late in games. 

Immediate Impact 

It didn’t take long for the results to show up in the win column. Butler’s debut on February 8th against the Chicago Bulls was a clear statement. The Warriors rolled to a 132-111 victory, with Butler dropping 25 points as if he’d been wearing blue and gold his whole career. 

More wins continue to pile up. In fact, the squad has gone 7-1 with Butler on the floor, climbing all the way up to seventh place in the Western Conference, and could find themselves even higher in short order.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, one league executive mentioned that Butler wasn’t the Warriors' preferred acquisition, but it’s looking like he turned out to be the better one:

The funny thing is Golden State preferred to trade for [Kevin] Durant, and Jimmy only wanted to go to Phoenix. And now they seem to think they've made the perfect move.

The Statistical Glow-Up

The most telling transformation wasn’t just in the record, but in how the Warriors played. Advanced metrics painted a very different picture pre- and post-trade. Prior to Butler’s arrival, Golden State ranked a pedestrian 18th in offensive rating and a respectable 10th in defensive rating. Not bad, but not exactly setting the league on fire. 

Since Butler has joined, those numbers have skyrocketed — fifth in offense, first in defense. That’s a quantum leap in terms of efficiency, and you can feel it every time you watch them. Butler’s skillset takes some weight off both Draymond and Curry’s shoulders on both ends of the floor.

And speaking of Steph, the numbers say he’s flourishing too. Before Butler arrived, he was putting up around 23.3 points per game on 43.9% shooting — a solid clip by normal standards but maybe not as eye-popping as we’ve come to expect from Chef Curry. 

Post-trade, he bumped his average up to 27 points, shooting nearly 48.5% from the field. Sometimes a four or five percent increase doesn’t seem like much, but when you’re talking about an all-time shooter, it becomes a world of difference.

February 27th: Curry’s Personal Stage

With the burst of energy from his new teammate, Steph Curry was able to get back to doing what he does best — showing the world why he’s still the greatest shooter alive. 

The state of California might consider making February 27th a Steph Curry holiday. Over the years, Curry has developed a habit of lighting it up late in the month, a phenomenon that’s borderline spooky. There was that famous “Double Bang” game in 2016 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he drained a 38-foot bomb at the buzzer, and his 54-point outburst at Madison Square Garden in 2013. This year, it was the Orlando Magic who ended up on Curry’s highlight reel.

Curry erupted for 56 points, guiding the Warriors to a 121-115 victory. Fans in the arena witnessed not just a scoring clinic but a three-point masterclass. He drilled 12 shots from beyond the arc, including one from well beyond midcourt that had the entire bench laughing in disbelief.

Steve Kerr talked about what it's like to see Curry still giving performances like this after all these years:

"It never gets old watching it, I can tell you that… I think the fans here tonight, even the Magic fans, know they’re witnessing the greatest shooter ever and one of the greatest performers ever. It’s not just the shots going in, it’s the fluidity and the beauty of his motion, the audacity, the shots he’s willing to take"

It’s like he woke up that morning, remembered it was February 27th, and decided, 'Yep, time to flip that switch.' His shot chart looked like a carnival of long-range bombs, mid-range fades, and even a few layups sprinkled in for good measure.

Team Dynamics and the Butler Factor

It’s tempting to focus all our attention on Curry’s fireworks, but the truth is, none of this would be happening without the new roster dynamics. One of the often-overlooked parts of Butler’s game is his capacity to run a point-forward role, meaning he can handle the ball and facilitate the offense. That alone has opened up the floor for Curry to move without the ball — a scenario that has always spelled trouble for defenses. 

The Defensive Resurgence

We all know Draymond is the engine, the quarterback of the defense, but if you look closely at the film, you’ll notice Butler forcing turnovers by smothering elite scorers or jumping into passing lanes at just the right time. That leads to transition opportunities, where the Warriors can devastate teams with quick threes and highlight-reel plays. This is how you flip close games from a coin toss into a comfortable win.

Climbing the Western Conference Ladder

Before the trade, Golden State was flirting with the idea of missing the playoffs altogether, sitting outside the top eight seeds. After a few big wins, they suddenly jumped into seventh, taking aim at that sixth spot to avoid the Play-In scenario. 

Much of the Western Conference is still a dogfight, with teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Suns scrambling for every win. But the Warriors, with this new spark, have grabbed hold of their destiny. At one point, their odds to even make the postseason were in question; now, bookmakers have them listed as one of the top seven favorites to win the whole thing in June at +1900. That doesn’t guarantee success, but it clearly shows rising expectations.

Finishing Strong

Now that the Warriors have the momentum, the big question is: Can they keep it going? They’re well aware that the Western Conference is deep. Teams like the Nuggets and Thunder have MVP-caliber talent, the Lakers have no shortage of firepower, and the Grizzlies are itching to break through. 

But the Warriors, more than most teams, understand how to navigate playoff waters. Curry’s unstoppable shooting, Draymond’s defense, and Butler’s veteran presence form a nucleus that no one wants to face in a seven-game series.

A Championship Window Reopened?

In many ways, the Jimmy Butler trade represents Golden State’s refusal to fade quietly into the background. Rather than let a .500 season define them, they doubled down on the idea that Curry, Draymond, and a hungry new teammate could recapture that magic. 

Maybe they won’t go on to dominate the league like they did in the past, but they’ve certainly given themselves a shot this season, and potentially even for next, gaining a new defensive edge and revitalizing Curry in the process.

Just like that, a team many thought was fading has flipped the script, surging back into the playoff picture and reminding everyone that championship DNA doesn’t just disappear.