Warriors’ Jimmy Butler wants $25 million from Lajae Jones for jersey number

Jimmy Butler may not have a lifelong attachment to No. 10, but he is not giving it up cheaply.

Golden State Warriors rookie Lajae Jones learned that lesson quickly after arriving as the No. 54 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Jones wore No. 10 during his college career, including his final stop at Florida State, and apparently hoped to keep the number as he began his NBA career.

There was only one problem: Butler already has it in Golden State.

In a lighthearted exchange shared by Warriors Talk, Jones asked about taking Butler’s number. The veteran star made it clear that the rookie’s dream number would come with an outrageous price tag.

“You want to buy my number? You can’t afford that. Zero shot,” Butler said with a smile. “Just wear number, like, 01 and say that it’s your number backwards. For $25 million, you can have my number then.”

It was a classic Butler response: funny, competitive and just business-minded enough to feel believable.

This is, after all, the same player who famously charged $20 for coffee inside the NBA bubble in 2020, joking that he could raise the price because players had few other options. So, in that sense, putting a $25 million price on a jersey number tracks.

Still, the joke lands even better because Butler has hardly treated one jersey number as sacred throughout his career.

He wore No. 33 at Marquette before taking No. 21 with the Chicago Bulls. He later wore No. 23 with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers, then became closely associated with No. 22 during his memorable run with the Miami Heat. No. 10 only became his number after he joined the Warriors in February 2025.

That makes Jones’ request a little more amusing. The rookie has a stronger personal history with No. 10 than Butler does, having worn it across multiple stops, including Tarleton State, St. Bonaventure and Florida State.

But NBA hierarchy is not complicated: Butler keeps No. 10, and the rookie gets treated like a rookie.

That is especially true for a second-round pick still trying to carve out a guaranteed role. Jones may have to settle for another number as he tries to prove himself through Summer League, training camp and beyond.

Of course, Jones may not need to come up with $25 million if the latest Warriors trade rumors come to fruition.

With speculation heating up about Golden State potentially moving Butler in a blockbuster Anthony Davis pursuit to help lure LeBron James, No. 10 could eventually become available the old-fashioned way.

So Jones may eventually get his shot at No. 10.

For now, though, Butler owns it — and apparently, the asking price starts at $25 million.

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