National Basketball Association

2025 NBA Power Rankings: Warriors surging with Jimmy Butler

Updated Mar. 11, 2025 5:29 p.m. ET

After the Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, Draymond Green made a bold proclamation.

"We are going to win the championship," Green said in an appearance on TNT last month.

Butler not only gave the Warriors a third superstar, but he infused them with the belief that they could go all the way again, a powerful notion for a team that won four championships in eight years from 2014-2022.

Since the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Warriors have won 12 of their last 14 games, including five in a row. They've climbed from 10th place in the Western Conference to sixth place with a record of 37-28.

Over their last 14 games, the Warriors are ranked second in defensive rating (108.9) and fifth in offensive rating (120.7). It has been a remarkable ascension for a team that was considered questionable to even make the play-in tournament. Now, the Warriors are considered real contenders.

It was known that the Warriors were going to be aggressive heading into the trade deadline. Steph Curry is 36 years old and, before his championship window diminishes, the Warriors wanted to give him a real chance to win his fifth ring.

The Warriors reportedly made phone calls to see if the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to trade LeBron James. They also pursued a reunion with Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant, but Durant wasn't interested in being traded midseason.

So, the Warriors went after Butler.

But there were major questions over whether that would work.

Butler is considered a controversial superstar who forces his way off teams when he's not happy. Things turned very sour during his 4 1/2-season stint with the Miami Heat, culminating in him being suspended three times.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have a very specific way of doing things. Curry sets the culture. Green brings the fire. Would Butler rock the boat too much? Or would he be willing to fit in?

So far, things have been seamless.

Butler has found happiness playing alongside proven winners. And the Warriors now have a fire lit under them with the arrival of a superstar whom they believe could help them go all the way.

If everyone stays healthy, the Warriors are going to be a problem for the rest of the league come playoff time.

Are the Warriors and Stephen Curry serious contenders? | The Herd

NBA POWER RANKINGS

Cleveland Cavaliers
Oklahoma City Thunder
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors
New York Knicks
Denver Nuggets
Milwaukee Bucks
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
Indiana Pacers
LA Clippers
Houston Rockets
Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks
Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic
Chicago Bulls
Phoenix Suns
Miami Heat
Dallas Mavericks
Brooklyn Nets
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Philadelphia 76ers
New Orleans Pelicans
Charlotte Hornets
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.