Jimmy Butler is returning to take on the Miami Heat for the first time since getting traded to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Ahead of the game, Butler's former head coach, Erik Spoelstra, weighed on his highly anticipated return to town considering how his departure from the Heat unfolded.
Butler's relationship with Miami soured quickly this season, resulting in him requesting a trade that yielded a move to the Warriors. While the true reasons for his decision to force his way out of town are unknown, Butler hinted at the motivation for his move in a recent interview with The Athletic.
"All of these stories come out about this and that," Butler said. "You hear about it, but you don't know why I do what I do. Don't nobody know why I do what I do. You just see: ‘Oh, he did this.' Well, why did he do this? Do you think he did it just to (expletive) do it? No. There's always a reason behind it."
Now, Butler is set to square off against the franchise he led to two NBA Finals appearances, before changing tune and abruptly getting traded. It's been a whirlwind of a season for everyone in Miami, but Spoelstra made it clear Butler's return isn't a narrative he wants to focus on too much ahead of this game.
"Obviously there's a great storyline for everybody out there. We're trying to focus on everything we've been dealing with for the last three weeks," Spoelstra said ahead of the game. "I think all the emotions were in late December and early January, to be frank ... I think we're pretty far removed now from that kind of emotion."
Erik Spoelstra on the emotions tonight.
"I don't know, obviously there's a great storyline for everybody out thereI think all the emotions were in late December and early January, to be frank. ... I think we're kind of far removed from that kind of emotion…" #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/kGiRuq66s9
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 25, 2025
Since getting dealt to the Warriors, Butler is averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. Tip-off for this heavily anticipated matchup is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Warriors Issue 5-Word Jimmy Butler Message Before Heat Clash
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This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 5:37 PM.