Jimmy Butler Issues ‘$35 Million’ Challenge to Warriors Teammate

Jonathan Kuminga made quite an impression on Jimmy Butler in their first game together as the fourth-year forward dropped 18 points in just 20 minutes off the bench in the Golden State Warriors’ 130-104 rout of the Sacramento Kings at home on Thursday, March 13.

“I love that my man came out there aggressive, putting the ball in the basket, high energy, jumping out the gym and dunking the basketball,” Butler told reporters. “I want him to be him to the best of his abilities, continually be great and help this squad achieve something special.”

The Warriors initially were reluctant to trade for Butler because, according to The Athletic, they did not want to give up both Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins. And now, Butler understood why the Warriors drew a line in the sand.

“He’s a hellified athlete,” Butler said of Kuminga. “He’s a scorer. He wants to be great and he’s going to do whatever anybody asks him to do on both sides of the ball. That’s what you can ask of anybody, let alone a young player that has as much upside as he does. I see why they want him here.”

Luckily for the Warriors and Kuminga, the Miami Heat lowered their asking price and got Butler essentially just for Wiggins and their 2025 first-round pick.

Jimmy Butler Pushing For Jonathan Kuminga Extension

Now, Kuminga has the perfect mentor in Butler, who declared his mission is to help him and the other Warriors’ young guys secure the bag as he did.

“I just like being around the young guys,” Butler continued. “I was them at one point in time and I just want to help them be great. Give them as much confidence as I can on whatever side of the ball. Teach them the little bit I know about the NBA game and help them get some dollars in the future.”

Kuminga will become a restricted free agent after this season. During his failed extension talks with the Warriors in the offseason, Kuminga was “aiming for” a $35 million annual salary, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported in the fall.

Jonathan Kuminga Anxious Before Return

Kuminga was showing the Warriors why he deserved it before his ill-timed injury. Then Butler’s arrival further complicated the situation. The six-time NBA All-Star, who is the more experienced and proven playoff performer than him, has injected life into the Warriors.

It made Kuminga anxious in his return from a 32-game absence, his longest layoff, since he was drafted seventh overall in the 2021 NBA draft.

“It was just thinking when I come back I don’t want to mess things up — I don’t want to be the one,” Kuminga told reporters after the win. “It’s just being nervous. Until you’re out there and you see everything is very easy.”

Butler was quick to dismiss Kuminga’s anxiety and issued a challenge that will help him get his money — the same formula he used to secure three max contract extensions after being the last pick in the first round of the 2011 draft class.

“You can’t mess [anything] up whenever everybody wants everybody to be great,” Butler said. “We don’t got no selfish people on this team. I’m going to come in there and tell him, ‘Be you, be you, be you.’

“He’s here and he’s been doing him for some time now, and I want [him] to be [him] more than anybody. You come in and play basketball the way you know how. I myself and everybody else will make sure that we fit your game.”

The Butler Effect

Since Butler arrived, the Warriors have posted a 12-2 record (12-1 with Butler in the lineup) to climb from 11th to sixth in the loaded Western Conference. The 38-28 Warriors are trailing the No. 5 Los Angeles Lakers (40-25) by 2 and 1/2 games with just one month left before the postseason.

The Butler effect showed up in the Warriors’ two-way play as they lead the league in assists (31.3), forced turnovers (18.1) and points off turnovers (25.3) since Feb. 8.

With Butler, Kuminga and Draymond Green, the Warriors now have a trio of rangy wings who can defend at a high level and put the ball in the basket.

“I think that’s the easiest form of basketball when you got three or 2.5 elite defenders on the fly that can switch, that are communicating to everybody on the floor and then on the offensive side, you just got guys that are just flying around, high IQ guys that are getting the ball where it needs to go and helping the ball get to the basket,” Butler said, noting that “.5” is because of his advanced age. “I think with us three out there, good things should happen.”