The Memphis Grizzlies' loss turned out to be the Golden State Warriors' gain. That was the case when it came to this past year's NBA trade deadline.
In all fairness, the Grizzlies technically did not lose anything, because they never had Butler to begin with. However, they were certainly a team whose name did come up a lot in connection to the former Miami Heat star before he got dealt to his new team.
The consistent reports of the time suggested that Butler had no interest in going to Memphis, despite the strong 2024-25 campaign from the Grizzlies. This eventually led to the two-way star ending up with the Warriors and completely reviving their season.
The Grizzlies continue to have a better record in 2024-25 than the Warriors. The gap has certainly closed since Butler joined the Warriors. Before that, the advantage largely favored Memphis.
If Butler was interested in winning and competing for a championship, why not join the team who was more proven without him? Former Grizzlies player Tony Allen gave his best reasoning for it on a recent episode of Run It Back on FanDuel TV.
**"Them guys used to play in those big cities, bright lights. Up here, we just got blue-collar people and barbecue, man. We work hard, man.
So if you can't, if you ain't understanding what the culture is and what it's about, a lot of people probably, you know, they'll probably be more reluctant and staying in those big cities. But, man, if y'all come down here, trust and believe, Grit Nation's gonna stand up.
I mean, they're gonna take you and accept you for what it is. And it was another guy, Andre Iguodala, he didn't want to come down here either. I mean, I don't know what's the stigma on that."**
-Tony Allen
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Whatever the main reason was for Butler opting against potentially joining the Grizzlies, the Warriors are undoubtedly thankful. The team continues to succeed with Butler, enjoying a 16-3 record with him in the lineup.
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This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 10:58 AM.