Warriors' Jimmy Butler was 'less baggage' than Kevin Durant, says Rachel Nichols
03/07/2025 07:26 PM
Sports reporter Rachel Nichols noted key differences between Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant when it came to their dynamics with the Golden State Warriors.
Nichols appeared in an episode of Sports Illustrated’s Open Floor Show on Friday. She says the irony is that the Warriors would've preferred Durant but got Butler, and Durant is having his own issues in Phoenix right now.
“Jimmy likes to say that he fits into any team basketball wise, and he's absolutely right, we have seen that,” Nichols said at the 1:31 mark.
“The irony is they would've rather had Kevin Durant, that's who they were trying to get and that Jimmy Butler was a little bit of the consolation prize there and the fact that Jimmy has done what he's done, in a way, has shown that he might've been the better fit than KD and certainly comes with a lot less baggage on that team.”
Nichols was involved in interviewing Jimmy Butler during the infamous Minnesota Timberwolves interview in 2018. This took place after Butler challenged his teammates at a practice, which gave momentum towards the team trading him to the Philadelphia 76ers.
What’s next for Jimmy Butler, Warriors
Quite an interesting take for Rachel Nichols to have with her comparison of Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant. The baggage claim is also ironic, with Butler being one who had baggage of forcing himself out of different franchises.
Nonetheless, Butler has been successful throughout his first set of games with the Warriors. They are 10-1 in his appearances, showing his importance to the squad on both sides of the ball. He is averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 assists, five rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.
Golden State holds a 35-28 record on the season, holding the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are three games behind the Houston Rockets and 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies.
Following Thursday’s win over the Nets, the Warriors will prepare for their next matchup. They host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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