Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the NBA playoffs last week.
Butler, 35, scored only 14 points and 17 points in the last two games of the season. He didn't lead Golden State in any game, with the losses of the Warriors.
NBA Hall of Fame member Dwyane Wade criticized his former teammate’s approach in the recent “WY Network” podcast. Wade, 43, said he witnessed his passive play style in Game 4, who had barely scored, but chose to create shots for his teammates.
The All-Star duo played for the Bulls in Chicago in 2016-17, and Butler believed Wade had a lot of influence when he decided to sign with the Miami Heat in the 2019 offseason. In addition, Wade informed Butler of the type of culture that the Heat organization developed.
Jimmy Butler's Dwyane Wade in the playoffs
- Hot Culture (@Heatulture13) May 20, 2025
"You got $60 million, and that doesn't work. He won't look at the basket. I'm already wearing the Heat jersey. pic.twitter.com/y5zn7p4jhc
But after checking Game 4 Butler, Wade now thinks it's a problem because he refuses to take a more aggressive approach when his team needs to score, which is a problem. Wade added that when Butler played for the Heat (2019-2025), he saw the same thing.
"You got 60 (million) and that doesn't work," Wade said. "He won't look at the basket. I've seen it before.
Wade pointed out that Butler's passivity also took precedence when Heat President Pat Riley refused to extend his contract during the offseason. Riley's refusal led to the two quarrels, while Butler demanded a trade.
“It’s not always (a) hurt when Pat comes out and says we don’t want to give you (an) extension,” Wade said. “I need to see what you’re going to do at every moment.”
Wade noted that he saw Butler reaching the NBA Finals with a more aggressive scoring approach throughout Heat 2020 and 2023. Now, with the Warriors, Butler shows some flashes that are still an elite scoring threat.
Butler scored 33 points in Game 3 against Minnesota, but did not reach the total in Game 4 and 5. Coupled with the lack of hamstring injuries, Stephen Curry left Golden State with not enough scores to outperform Minnesota.
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