Warriors GM reveals latest after Butler bombshell

Jimmy Butler, the veteran forward whose arrival in the Bay Area last season electrified Golden State’s midsize-title hopes, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a game earlier this week.

The injury was confirmed to be season-ending, leaving the Warriors without one of their most impactful two-way players at a critical point in the campaign.

In the immediate fallout, narratives swirled around how the franchise might move, particularly with the February 5 trade deadline looming. Butler is owed more than $54 million this season and has another $56 million-plus due next year.

However, at a press gathering on Tuesday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was clear: moving Butler’s contract is not on his agenda. When asked directly about trade possibilities, Dunleavy dismissed the idea and said he envisions Butler returning to bolster the team next year much as he did after arriving via trade last season.

“I’m disappointed it hasn’t worked out better”

“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy said. “Now that you’ve brought it up, I’d say my vision for him is to give us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived.”

This position marks a shift from last season’s handling of a similar injury situation. Then, a younger player who tore an ACL was packaged in a deal that ultimately helped fuel a midseason trade sweep that brought Butler to the Warriors. This time, team officials appear more reluctant to buckle under short-term pressure or surrender future draft assets without a clear return that fits their strategic horizon.

“At his age, to have the year he’s had is impressive,” Dunleavy said of Butler, who will soon turn 37-years-old. “I think he’s got a style of game that can play for a long time with his skill, his physicality, his mind for the game. So I guess my vision for him is him returning at some point between now and this time next year.”

The injury’s ripple effects extend beyond contract talk. Young forward Jonathan Kuminga, who had publicly expressed frustration over limited playing time, saw his role expand immediately after Butler went down.

“I’m disappointed it hasn’t worked out better [with Kuminga],” Dunleavy said. “But it is what it is. ...There’s still time left here. He’s on our roster. I know a trade has been requested, but nothing’s imminent and things in this league can change in a heartbeat, as they did last night. So he’s got to be ready.”

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Dunleavy added that the Warriors could use some of their future first-round picks to search out immediate help: “If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here, it’s going to have to be a player that we think we’ll be getting back that is going to be here when those picks are going out. That player’s going to have to be pretty impactful. It would take a good amount - positionally, play style, archetype, all that. I would leave it pretty broad and open. But if there’s a great player to be had, we’ve got everything in the war chest that we would be willing to use.”

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