Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. delivered a strong message to his team after completing a trade for Jimmy Butler at last month’s deadline, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The complex five-team deal finally gave Golden State the additional star that Dunleavy had been seeking since last summer.
âI told them, âItâs time to win,ââ Dunleavy said. âWhatever happened this season thus far where weâve had some tough losses and our record isnât what it needs to be. This signals itâs time to win, no f—ing around. Weâll see where we can get to.â
The Warriors have responded just as Dunleavy had hoped, going 13-1 when Butler has played and rising into the top six in the West. Since February 8, the team has the NBA’s third-best defensive rating at 108.7 and the third-best offensive rating at 121.5.
Dunleavy told Scotto that being a former teammate of Butler in Chicago gave him a “level of comfort” to make the deal and sign Butler to a two-year, $111MM extension.
âI think thereâs a talent level that he brings that we needed at the top of the roster,â Dunleavy said. âThereâs also a presence, a competitiveness, and an IQ. We need all those things on the court and in big moments. I think it raises the level of all of our players. Not only our role players but also (Stephen Curry) and Draymond (Green)Â to know theyâve got another guy with them that they can look around and feel like, ‘All right, weâve got a chance.'”
There’s more from Scotto:
- Veteran center Kevon Looney talked to Scotto about Butler’s effects on the Warriors and his own upcoming free agency. Looney has been with Golden State since he was drafted in 2015, but his playing time has declined over the last two seasons. He was mentioned in trade rumors before the deadline, and his future is uncertain as his contract gets ready to expire. “Iâm focused on this season right now,” Looney said. “You never know whatâs going to happen in a short period of time. Iâm hoping I can stay healthy, have a great end of the season and playoffs, and then see whatever happens. You always try to be where youâre at, but things change. Free agency is always crazy, so whatever happens, happens.”
- Quinten Post has been a surprise success story for the Warriors, earning a standard contract after starting the season in the G League. The rookie big man told Scotto he considers the contract to be validation for the work he did at the G League level. “I give myself credit from the moment I found out I was going to Santa Cruz. I put my head down and completely focused on that,” Post said. “I wasnât even thinking about the Warriors. I was focused on winning our games in the G League and playing better basketball with my teammates there. I was locked in. I was going to win the G League. That was our plan. We were on a streak there. Then, all of a sudden, I got a call-up, and then I was here. The fact that I got converted, I felt was because I did the right things, and I got rewarded for it.”
- Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith said his brief time playing for Jordi Fernandez gave him confidence that the first-year head coach will be able to turn the Nets into winners. He also talked to Scotto about the decision he faces on a $15.4MM player option for next season, which could determine his future in L.A. “You see what just happened with Luka (Doncic)? So, youâve got to make sure you take care of yourself first,” Finney-Smith said. “We need to finish the season strong. If we win, everybody eats.”
Dunleavy desperately tried to make a team better after losing a pair of stars to age and trades…
Then proceeds to trade for someone who makes the player they traded look like an Iron Man… In terms of both 2 way play and time spent on court…
All of this could of worked out a lot better if Draymond was sent to the Mavs and Klay got Draymonds walk off into the sunset paycheck…
Lol, the fact is that Butler is a substantially better player than Wiggins, and apparently you may have missed that Butler has missed 1 game since the trade and Wiggins has missed 6.
Klay’s making less with the Mavs than he was offered to stay with GSW, and Draymond is playing great since the Butler trade. People who know the NBA understand that Dunleavy trading Wiggins for Butler while maintaining a deep roster and only losing Schroder, Waters and Kyle Anderson couldn’t possibly have worked out better!
@scarlett666 you copy/pasted this from 5 weeks ago. right after Butler/Wiggins trade.
you were wrong about everything
Nothing is proven until they win a title..
Honeymoon period is not a title…
Oh Scarlett666, your comment makes absolutely no sense. Do you ever watch basketball? Wiggins has been underwhelming for most of his 11 years in the league. He has only had one season where he lived up to his potential. Klay forced the trade. Everyone, except for you it seems, knows Klay has struggled the past few years. He wanted a change of scenery. Keeping Klay would have made things intolerable. The numbers overwhelming show that Draymond makes the Warriors better. Why do you fight reality?
Post and TJD have all but sealed Looney’s fate on GSW. I don’t think they will be able to afford to keep Looney or GP2 this offseason.
DaveyJ ,
Prediction: Looney, will sign a 2 year guaranteed deal with GSW at $4.5M/yr, even if Dubs lose in 1st round. Post & TJD still need seasoning, and Looney helps that.
Looney wonât get offered much more than that by any other team, and he really wants to stay in the Bay.
That gives the Warriors a 3-headed C for $9M/yr.
I predict minimum vet contract but he will be welcomed back every year like Haslam.
^ michol that’s a best case scenario for sure! Praying Loon wants rings more than money!!
@ari, i mean that would be great, but i think loon will want as much money as he can get on the open market
also “dubs lose in the first round” lmao at that very thought (unless you are predicting half the team gets hurt).
Davey, Do you bring back GP2 after his outburst? Or let him walk?
He sure is playing great and I hope that continues into the playoffs like the other year. But if you sign him for next season, you know heâs gonna be hurt for most of it.
Hoping he will sign 1 yr minimum vet contract.
Michol – I’m STRONGLY hoping that both GP2 and Looney can be retained at vet mins (or close) — high character vets that will always add value, even if it’s only helping the young guys.
Next season, GP2 will be 33. With his injury history, I can’t see any team offering more than the minimum. Looney will be 30, coming off 2 seasons where he’s played only ~15 mpg.
Looney and GP2 know that they *fit* on GSW and will get at least a little PT, whereas there’s a good chance on another team they barely play, which is career-ending at their age.
Bonus prediction: Kevon Looney will be Dubs’ Udonis Haslem.
@DaveyJ, re Looney, I don’t think his value on the open market is more than $4.5M/yr, best case. IMO, the Warriors will happily split the difference between his best offer and the vet minimum.
At 26, he got a 3 year deal for $8M/yr, coming off an ironman year as a starter, led the NBA in offensive rebounding, and killed in the ‘Chip Finals. Why such a small amount? Because for any team other than the Warriors, his lack of offense and rim protection limits his value.
Looney will be 30 next season and has been playing only ~15 mpg these last 2 seasons. He’ll get some nibbles on the FA market, but it won’t be enough for him to move.
raz421 , glad to see you back, you were missed.
You absolutely try to bring GP2 back. He’ll be 33 and with his injury history, I canât see any other team offering more than the minimum. Few, if any, other teams value GP2’s unique skill set, which has some major holes that the Warriors accommodate. My prediction is that, even though Dubs will be deep into the tax, Lakob will be willing to give Looney and GP2 a bit more than the minimum to keep them on the end of the bench.
Thanks, I’ve been reading the topics and comments but have been a little busy since MLB is starting lol. I think they should bring back GP2. Sometimes chemistry and familiarity edges out talent. GP2 has been a nice fit for that team. I know he gets hurts more often than not for Warriors fans but that’s part of the game and his style demands it. Sort of like Alex Caruso. You know he’s going to get banged up but he will do the little things to help a team win. If they don’t retain his services, I’d be glad to have GP2 on my team since we lack identity on defense and a player who knows his role without any ego.