The Golden State Warriors’ Celebrity Poker Tournament: A Night of Surprises and High-Stakes Drama
Every year, the Golden State Warriors host a celebrity poker tournament that draws in some of the biggest names from Silicon Valley. These tech titans pay a hefty price for the chance to play Texas Hold ’em alongside Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ roster. The proceeds from this event go to the team’s charitable foundation. Interestingly, no player from the Warriors has ever won the tournament, although Gary Payton II did make it to the final table once. Typically, the winner is a poker professional, a venture capitalist, or even owner Joe Lacob’s wife, Nicole Curran, who has claimed victory twice.
This year’s tournament was no exception in terms of excitement. Just after 9 p.m. on Saturday, a buzz swept across the floor of the Chase Center. The Dallas Mavericks had reportedly traded their 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. As the news spread, hundreds of attendees pulled out their phones to confirm the trade and capture the players’ reactions.
Curry was visibly stunned by the news. He quickly approached Draymond Green to see if he had heard about the trade. Green hadn’t, so he joined Curry to check out the post from ESPN’s Shams Charania on Curry’s phone. Videos of these moments quickly made their way to social media, showing that neither Curry nor Green could maintain their poker faces in light of the Doncic trade.
But while the poker tournament was unfolding, another high-stakes game was being played behind the scenes. The Warriors were secretly negotiating a potential trade to bring Kevin Durant back to the team. By Saturday night, as the world was still processing the Doncic trade, multiple sources revealed that the Warriors were deep into talks with the Phoenix Suns to reunite with Durant, who had previously won two Finals MVPs and championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Durant and his business manager, Rich Kleiman, only learned of these discussions when the Suns played the Warriors on January 31. The next day, Durant and Curry discussed the possibility of Durant returning to the Warriors. Curry wanted to gauge Durant’s feelings about rejoining the team he left after the 2019 Finals.
According to sources, Durant expressed that it didn’t “feel right” and that it “wasn’t the time” to revisit their partnership. He was content in Phoenix and wasn’t looking to move. This soft “no” was a setback for the Warriors, but it didn’t completely deter them from pursuing talks with the Suns. They hoped Durant might reconsider once he realized the extent of Phoenix’s trade discussions with other teams.
For weeks, the Suns, Warriors, and Miami Heat had been engaged in a high-stakes poker game involving Durant and disgruntled Heat star Jimmy Butler. These talks were well-known, as were Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s public and private statements about wanting Durant to retire as a Sun. However, with the Suns struggling in the Western Conference, the Warriors saw an opportunity to play two hands at once.
This situation created a triangle of desperation and rising stakes: one team eager to resolve a saga with its superstar, another desperate to upgrade its roster, and a third looking to extend its dynasty by acquiring a new star.
Ultimately, the Warriors and Heat ended the Butler drama, while the Suns were left to navigate a potentially uncomfortable situation with Durant.
Jimmy Butler’s Chess Game with the Miami Heat
While the teams were playing poker, Butler was playing chess. His objective was clear: to force his opponent to submit. Butler wanted out of Miami.
The details of Butler’s chess game with the Heat are well-documented. He missed 10 days in late December after leaving a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an illness. On Christmas, Charania reported Butler’s unhappiness and desire for a trade. Team president Pat Riley issued a statement to squash the trade rumors. However, when Butler returned, he engaged in conduct detrimental to the team, leading to a seven-game suspension on January 3.
After meetings with Riley and owner Micky Arison failed to resolve the situation, Butler briefly returned to the team. On January 22, he skipped a team flight to Milwaukee, resulting in another two-game suspension. Butler was set to return on January 27, but after learning he had lost his starting job, he left practice and was suspended indefinitely. This marked the final straw in the saga.
Miami eventually agreed to trade Butler, marking another stormy exit similar to his departures from the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Butler’s desire to leave Miami has been seen as a rejection of Heat culture. While this is partly true, Butler insists there were other reasons. He expressed frustration with the Heat’s inability to acquire more help after their Finals runs in 2020 and 2023. This frustration grew when he felt his role in the offense was diminished this season.
According to ESPN Research, Butler averaged just 56.5 touches this season and brought the ball up the floor only 11.4 times per game, both his lowest marks since joining the Heat. Instead, he was used more as a spacer, with 7.6 on-ball screens per game, his highest mark since joining the team. His 17.0 points per game were his lowest since 2013-14.
Heat sources counter that they adjusted the offense because Butler missed many regular-season games. He played an average of just 58 games over his first five seasons in Miami. The last time he played 65 games was in 2018-19.
While Butler was frustrated by his reduced role, Heat sources insist that Riley’s message was for him to be more involved with the team.
When Butler sprained an ankle on November 8, he requested to rehab at his home in Southern California. Spoelstra initially agreed, but Riley declined, insisting Butler stay connected to the team. Butler didn’t take it well but continued to play strongly upon his return.
During a meeting on January 7, Riley tried to convince Butler to stay for the rest of the season. The Heat had suspended Butler for seven games, angering the players’ union and leading to a grievance filing. Riley hoped to mend fences and suggested ending the suspension early if the meeting went well. However, the meeting didn’t go as planned, and Butler reiterated his trade request.
There are differing accounts of what transpired in the meetings between Riley, Butler, and the Arisons. Each meeting involved emotional discussions. The Athletic reported that Butler described Riley as “unhinged,” while Heat sources described Butler’s behavior similarly.
The Warriors’ Pursuit of Jimmy Butler
The Warriors and Suns were among the first teams to express interest in Butler once it became clear the Heat would honor his trade request. Butler preferred a trade to the Suns, as they were willing to offer a long-term extension and the chance to play alongside Durant and Devin Booker. However, Phoenix needed to find a team willing to take on Bradley Beal and his $110 million contract with a no-trade clause.
The Suns knew trading Beal would be challenging, as he wanted to stay in Phoenix. They explored multiteam trades to land Butler in Phoenix and Beal elsewhere. However, Miami was not interested in Beal, and the Heat’s refusal to make a deal with Phoenix frustrated Butler.
Miami liked Golden State’s offer, centered around Andrew Wiggins and the Warriors’ 2025 first-round pick. Wiggins was the type of young, athletic forward the Heat needed to replace Butler.
Earlier this week, with the trade deadline looming, the Heat engaged more seriously with Golden State. That’s when Miami learned of the Suns and Warriors’ negotiations for Durant.
When the Suns were first mentioned as a possible Butler destination, they didn’t want to trade Durant. However, with the team struggling, they began exploring the idea of trading Durant with the Warriors and other teams.
The Collapse of the Three-Way Trade Talks
There is no easy way to move a future Hall of Fame player who wants to stay with your franchise. Not informing the player or his agent and having them find out through other sources is a bad process. Internally, the Suns have conceded this point.
Instead, a frantic 48 hours ensued, with Durant sending a final word that he had no desire to reunite with the Warriors. Durant would have been open to playing for the Heat, so Miami considered cutting the Warriors out and dealing Butler to Phoenix for Durant.
Riley had wanted Durant for years, but ultimately, Miami felt it would be mortgaging its future by pursuing Durant. The third attempt to land Durant was not the charm for Riley and the Heat.
The three-way talks even expanded to include Washington. However, the Heat wanted the Warriors’ 2025 first-round pick, not the Cavs’, which was likely to be No. 29 or 30. The Warriors didn’t like the deal either, and the three-way talks collapsed.
Eventually, Miami and Golden State completed the deal for Butler. The Heat were comfortable with the package centered around Wiggins and the Warriors’ top-10-protected draft pick. The last piece was getting Butler on board, which happened when Golden State started discussions on a new contract for Butler.
The Warriors were in Utah preparing for a game against the Jazz when the trade was agreed upon. Curry was in the middle of his pregame routine, and Wiggins was too. Kerr called the team into the locker room to inform them of the trade.
In Phoenix, the phones were quiet. The Heat were no longer engaging the Suns on Durant. The Wizards, who had been in discussions about joining the deal, also moved on. The Warriors focused on the Heat.
In the evening, word leaked that Butler was nearing a contract agreement, signaling the Warriors would land him and the Suns were out. The Suns were deflated, having exhausted themselves in discussions to turn Beal into Butler.
The Suns had scored major transactional victories over the previous two years, but this time, they were left in the cold. They now have a mess to clean up with Durant, who wanted to stay in Phoenix but saw his name in trade rumors.
Despite long odds, the Suns never folded. But hampered by second apron restrictions, what was once a three-handed final table turned heads-up. Phoenix was out.
Jimmy Butler’s New Chapter with the Warriors
Butler rushed through Los Angeles traffic to meet his new team. He made it with time to spare, beaming as he walked past the marquee inside Crypto.com Arena.
“I’m so happy,” he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews when asked if he was happy to be there or out of Miami. “Both!” Butler said.
How he’ll fit into the Warriors’ motion offense and culture remains to be seen. The Warriors were drawn to Butler for the same reasons Miami was in 2019. The Warriors have lacked confidence and discipline in pressure situations, and Butler has both in spades. The Warriors have lacked a secondary scorer to carry the team when Curry is off the floor, and Butler will be the best option since Durant.
In the best-case scenario, Butler will fit into the Warriors like Dennis Rodman fit into the Chicago Bulls in 1995. Kerr was there for that experiment and saw how Phil Jackson managed Rodman.
It’s not hard to imagine a worst-case scenario. The Warriors are currently tied with Sacramento for 10th in the West. Butler said all the right things about his respect for the Warriors’ championship pedigree, but he used to say good things about Heat culture too.
For now, the Warriors are optimistic. The Heat are relieved. The Suns and Durant are still uncomfortably together, at least until the summer. And Butler is happy.
“You want to be wanted,” Butler said. “You want somebody to want you to help you win, to let you be the player that you are capable of being. I get to be that here and I’m going to be that here for a long time. Hopefully for the rest of my career.
“You would hope that that’s what that was in Miami but it’s not. That’s OK. That chapter is behind me and we’re going to turn the page.”
Originally Written by: Ramona Shelburne,Brian Windhorst
