It's no secret that Jimmy Butler has had a major impact on Steph Curry and the Warriors, but where does he fall on the list of Golden State's best No. 2 options in the Curry era?
Fairly high, in Stephen A. Smith's opinion.
The ESPN analyst joined Monday's episode of "Get Up," where he discussed Butler's effect on Curry since the blockbuster Feb. 5 trade and how it compares to the impact of one of Curry's longtime teammates.
"He benefits Steph Curry almost as much as Klay Thompson did."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 3, 2025
—@stephenasmith on how important Jimmy Butler has been to Steph Curry and the Warriors pic.twitter.com/vHM06JYxqv
"I can't take away the fact that Jimmy Butler has upgraded Golden State significantly and one of the points that I brought up is Jimmy Butler's ability to get to the free throw line, I think he was averaging like 9.3 free throws per game, understand what that does, that spells for Steph Curry without having to take him out of the game," Smith said.
"Jimmy Butler has definitely been a pleasant surprise. We know what he can do individually, especially come playoff time. I just didn't think that it would be this good of a match with him and Steph Curry. In a totally different kind of way, he benefits Steph Curry almost as much as Klay Thompson did. And that's what is surprising to me, and pleasantly so."
Thompson and Curry, in 11 seasons together with the Warriors, formed arguably the greatest backcourt in NBA history on their way to winning four championships with Golden State.
Golden State Warriors
While Smith believes the 35-year-old Butler can have a similar impact on Curry as Thompson once did, the newest Warriors star won't come close to matching the sharpshooting guard's legacy with Golden State.
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