Jimmy Butler says ‘chaos’ with Heat paid off: ‘Someone has to be the bad guy’

The end of forward Jimmy Butler’s tenure with the Miami Heat stained what was a very successful partnership between the two sides. Miami made the Finals twice in 2020 and 2023 with Butler as the straw who stirred the drink on offense, yet he’s not exactly beloved by fans of the team right now after a very messy exit midway through last season.

Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors around last season’s trade deadline, and heading into his first full season playing alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, he said that all of the “chaos” during the tail end of his Heat stint “paid off in a major way.”

“All that noise, all that chaos paid off in a major way,” Butler said. “I’m lucky to be part of this phenomenal organization.”

The 36-year-old indicated that he’s been a scapegoat at previous stops in his pro career. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, he has played for four teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves along with the Heat and Warriors.

“Everywhere starts off great, but then you know someone has to be the bad guy, and it gets to be me,” Butler said. “I’m always the one doing something unbearable all of a sudden. … But that’s okay. I get to play in this wonderful league, with amazing teammates.”

Butler continued.

“But being here, they’ve only got one goal,” he said, glancing up at the wall with championship banners. “To keep hanging those things up on the wall. Ain’t no hidden agendas.”

It’s understandable why Butler seems to be happy in Golden State, as he is playing for a Warriors team that has a real puncher’s chance to come out of the West in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Curry is still an elite player even at his advanced age and Green remains a game-changer from a defensive standpoint.

Not only that, the Warriors managed to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga and added big man Al Horford to the fold before the start of the campaign. Horford brings championship pedigree along with a very accurate 3-point shot to the table, and he will likely start plenty of games for the Warriors at the center spot.

It’s hard to believe Butler would have had as good a chance to win a title next year had he stayed with the Heat, even with the Eastern Conference looking very weak. Miami simply doesn’t have the star power Golden State has, and it just barely qualified for the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

It appears as if Butler has put his dramatic end to his Heat stint behind him, and he is hoping he will finally add a title to his resume this season.