Udonis Haslem didn’t hold back after watching Jimmy Butler torch the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament. In the game Butler’s 38-point masterclass powered Golden State to a tight 121-116 win. Butler looked like he was in complete control—dropping 7 boards, 6 dimes, and knocking down 12-of-20 shots, including a couple of deep threes. Simply put, he had the game in his palms. But it’s what Haslem said after that really stirred the pot.
Moving forward, Haslem took to ESPN’s NBA Countdown to reflect on Butler’s brilliance. And that’s where things got spicy. He recalled a convo with Dwyane Wade, boldly saying, “You are talented as hell. LeBron has been talented as hell. But Jimmy is way smarter than y’all.” That’s no casual compliment—that’s a bombshell. And soon after, Haslem joined Wade on his podcast, where Flash himself had a few gems to drop about Butler’s impact.
According to Wade, Jimmy didn’t just fit in with the Warriors—he elevated them. “The Golden State Warriors before Jimmy got there. Jimmy’s real, too, by the way. Just bringing Jimmy in. Steph gonna do what Steph do, but it’s made it easier on him,” Wade noted. Haslem jumped in, adding, “That has unlocked Steph times, too.”
As the conversation kept rolling, Wade doubled down, explaining, “That takes nothing away from who he is and what he is, but it has unlocked Steph. Other great players need to play with great players.” Haslem, never short on words, followed up with, “That has unlocked Steph tremendously.”
Mar 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) as a time out is called against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Finally, Haslem dropped one more wild take, saying, “I play defense on Bron, I play defense on Iso Joe. Everybody is different, but Jimmy is probably the smartest offensive player I’ve ever had to play.” Bold? Definitely. But here’s the kicker—Wade had already seen it coming.
Dwyane Wade thinks Jimmy Butler made GSW contender for 3 years
Dwyane Wade didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about Jimmy Butler’s abrupt exit from Miami. “It’s ending tragically, this is tragic,” he admitted, reacting to the blockbuster four-team trade that sent Butler packing for the Bay Area. But even with the emotional fallout, Wade isn’t blind to the bigger picture. With Butler now rocking a Warriors jersey and declaring he’s “got his joy back,” Flash believes this move doesn’t just shake things up—it resets the clock on Golden State’s title window.
In fact, Wade didn’t hesitate to lay it out clearly. “This is an all-in probably for the next three years for Golden State,” he said on The WY Network. He’s been through enough championship runs to know this isn’t about building slowly.
With Steph Curry still playing out of his mind, Wade made it clear: “When you got one of the greatest players to ever put on a jersey, it’s your duty to make sure that they have an opportunity when they say I need more.”
What gives him that much belief in Butler? According to Wade, it’s about knowing the man behind the game. “The Jimmy that is just like a wild dog off the leash because he can now just be Jimmy,” he said, recalling the grit he saw in Butler back in Marquette and early Chicago days.
And now that Butler’s no longer the lone soldier on offense? He’s ready to unleash. Golden State’s all in—and the countdown has officially begun.
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