No doubt the Golden State Warriors are struggling this season. After the 125-85 loss to the Boston Celtics in January, Curry admitted, “A big part of our season has been when we can’t score, we lose spirit, we lose life, we lose competitiveness.” And it sums up the GSW’s shaky run, with the team sitting at 10th in the Western Conference. Even coach Steve Kerr indicated that fatigue may be hindering Curry’s recent performanes although the superstar was quick to put down those suggestions. Nevertheless, HOF Dwyane Wade believes the Warriors have found the missing piece—not just to revive Curry but to reignite the flame amongst the entire squad.

“In Steph’s career and Draymond’s career after everything they accomplished. You don’t want to see them losing like we saw. You will see Steph not having fun with the game… his energy was kind of getting zapped away,” Wade explained. And that’s where Jimmy Butler comes in.

Wade, who knows Butler well from their time together in Miami, said, “And so what Jimmy brings? Jimmy brings he’s bringing life.” What exactly does Wade indicate to? As per D-Wade, Butler offers Warriors a dynamic weapon they’ve never had before.

“He [Butler] brings, like, you know, for that team. He brings another guy that you know can do something different,” Wade said. “You can go to him… He’s great because he doesn’t need the ball to be effective. He’s a great cutter, offensive rebounder, post player, mid-post player. He’s great in pick-and-rolls with the ball, without the ball… Obviously, we know he’s ferocious on defense when he wants to be.”

And Butler wasted no time proving Dwyane Wade right. In his Warriors debut, Butler dropped 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting, dished out four assists, and grabbed two rebounds. More importantly, his presence helped Warriors erase a 24-point deficit to storm past the Chicago Bulls, 132-111.

But Wade believes this is just the beginning. In his eyes, Butler teaming up with Curry doesn’t just make Warriors a contender for this season—it makes them a serious threat for the next three years.

D-Wade hypes Butler and Warriors’ future

Just weeks ago, Dwyane Wade joined The WY Network and made clear his stance on the Warriors’ future. “This is an all-in probably for the next three years for Golden State,” he said. 3× NBA champ Wade understands what it takes to chase a championship, and with Stephen Curry still performing at an elite level, he sees Butler’s arrival as a bold but necessary gamble.

“When you got one of the greatest players to ever put on a jersey, it’s your duty to make sure that they have an opportunity when they say I need more,” he said. The Warriors have seen Curry carry the team for years, and now, they’re finally giving him another star to lean on. But why is Wade so confident? Simple—he knows Butler better than most.

“When I look at this from Jimmy’s standpoint, I go back to the Jimmy that I knew in Marquette, the Jimmy I knew in Chicago at first before he became an All-Star Jimmy,” Wade explained. “The Jimmy that is just like a wild dog off the leash because he can now just be Jimmy.”

In Miami, Butler had to carry the offensive load. But now, surrounded by Curry and Draymond Green, he can play his game without that pressure—and Wade believes that’s a scary sight for the rest of the league. So, is Butler the missing piece to help Curry and the Warriors reach championship glory? Only time will tell.