Grading the Jimmy Butler trade based on fan reactions in the Warriors, Heat subreddits

Jimmy Butler had been linked to the Golden State Warriors in NBA trade rumors for weeks. But Butler reportedly was set on going to Phoenix and the possibility of the Warriors landing Kevin Durant made the deal some unlikely.

But in the end, Durant wanted to stay in Phoenix and we ended up back where the rumors started — Butler going to Golden State for a deal largely built around Andrew Wiggins. The Heat also landed Kyle Anderson and a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick from the Warriors. Dennis Schroder went from Golden State to Utah, who sent P.J. Tucker back to Miami. In addition, the Pistons picked up Lindy Waters III from the Warriors and Josh Richardson from the Heat, absorbing salaries to make the whole thing work.

That's a lot of moving parts but the crux of the trade is Wiggins, who is two more years on his deal at about $60 million total, swapping places with Butler, who will decline his option for next season and sign a two-year, $111 million extension with the Warriors.

This is the end of an era for the Heat and a huge financial gamble by the Warriors as they try to squeeze out one more title for Steph Curry. Understandably, fans on both sides had strong reactions and we went to the official subreddits of each team to gauge how each fanbase is feeling.

How are Warriors fans reacting to the trade on Reddit?

The top post right now on r/Warriors is an Andrew Wiggins appreciation thread and if you dive into the comments you'll find a lot of gratitude for what he gave the team during his brief stint in Golden State:

• ‘22 Wiggins was special. You’ll always be a warrior legend my Canadian friend.
• All Star year and then balled out when it counted in the playoffs
• Second best player on a championship winning team. No one can take that away from him

And there were more than a few folks who weren't wild about the idea of swapping out for two years of Jimmy Butler.

• I hate this trade. Dependable two-way player who never complained traded for a diva :/ Will miss you Wiggs
• Wiggins has been debatably our 2nd best player since the moment he got to this team. This is a panicked and embarrassed FO move right here.
• We downgraded and paid extra for it. Thank you for 2022, Wiggs. You deserve a break by being in the Eastern Conference.

Scroll down beyond that appreciation thread and you'll find a post trolling the Lakers about Luka Doncic's weight, a video of Steve Kerr explaining how much the Warriors will miss Wiggins, a picture of Wiggins hugging the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2022 captioned "forever a Warrior Legend", and several more posts imploring the Warriors not to trade and him and others thanking him for his contributions in Golden State.

Obviously, these don't represent the opinions of every Warriors fan but the overwhelming sentiment in r/Warriors seems to be focused more on nostalgia and appreciation for Wiggins than excitement about what Butler can bring the team. Here's how I'd (subjectively) express that sentiment as a grade for the trade.

Warriors Reddit Fan Reaction Grade: C-

How are Heat fans reacting to the trade on Reddit?

Things are looking a little bit different over on r/Heat. As of this writing, the top post in the subreddit is about news that the Heat were acquiring Davion Mitchell from the Kings in exchange for P.J. Tucker. The second post is video of Tyler Herro reacting to his All-Star selection. That's followed by a post celebrating Pat Riley, a viral video of a Heat fan explaining the trade to Kevin Love on the Heat bench during the game last night and a post entitled: "Get to know Wiggins, from a Wiggins fan."

There is some nostalgia and appreciation for Butler further down the list but the Heat fandom, at least in r/Heat, seem much more focused on their current roster, their new players and what comes next. They may not be overwhelmed with Andrew Wiggins excitement but they're also not crushed that Jimmy Butler is finally gone.

Here's how I'd (subjectively) express that sentiment as a grade for the trade.

Heat Reddit Fan Reaction Grade: B+