The Golden State Warriors returned to title contention, for the first time in two seasons, after they pulled off a blockbuster midseason multi-team trade to acquire six-time All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat.
With Butler installed, Golden State improved mightily on both ends of the floor. Butler and incumbent nine-time All-Defensive Team forward/center Draymond Green instantly shored up the club along the perimeter and in the frontcourt. On the other end, Butler provided the Warriors with another elite ball handler alongside two-time league MVP Stephen Curry and Green.
Unlike Green, Butler is also a great scorer who can take over games as needed, a la Curry.
Golden State finished the season on an impressive 23-8 sprint with its new (very old) core of 37-year-old Curry and 35-year-old Butler and Green. At 48-34, the Warriors were slotted in as the Western Conference's No. 7 seed, but they upset the No. 2 Houston Rockets and seemed well on their way to at least threatening the Minnesota Timberwolves before Curry suffered a hamstring strain in Game 1 of that second round series. Without Curry (who missed the subsequent four contests), and with Butler limited by a glute ailment, Golden State fell in five games.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr issues instructions during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr issues instructions during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Now, just weeks before the 2025 NBA Draft, Golden State has made a major change to its offseason roster — on the sidelines.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line/Substack reports that Golden State has shifted head video coordinator Lainn Wilson to be the franchise's new head coach for its NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Kerr's son Nick, who had been Santa Cruz's head coach since 2023-24, is said to be returning to his dad's beat in San Francisco.
After the Warriors were sent home by the Timberwolves in the second round of the playoffs, Kerr reflected on the team's new hierarchy, in a conversation on 95.7 The Game's "Willard & Dibs."
"The way the team is built, we got two guys in Jimmy and Steph who are two of the best in the league and they're going to have the ball in their hands. We have two guys in Steph and Draymond who are going to turn the ball over quite a bit," Kerr said. "It's just kind of the nature of their games."