The Warriors season took a dramatic turn on Monday night when star forward Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a win over the Heat.
Golden State had started to turn their season around prior to the injury, winning four straight games and seven of their last 10 to improve to 25-19. Now, the Warriors have major decisions to make ahead of the trade deadline on Feb. 5.
Here’s a closer look at the big choices that loom ahead for a franchise that was a fringe contender even before Butler went down. Also, is there a chance the Celtics could stand to benefit depending on the direction the Warriors brass elects to move?
**Jonathan Kuminga decision**
The 23-year-old forward has been out of the rotation for weeks and has asked for a trade out of Golden State. Butler’s injury would certainly make him more of a necessity in the Warriors lineup in order for the team to compete offensively but it’s unclear whether his relationship with Steve Kerr is beyond repair after multiple tumultuous seasons.
Whether he is back in the Warriors’ rotation as soon as tonight’s matchup against the Raptors will tell the tale of on if the team will try to mend fences or move on from him as anticipated.
**Could Warriors blow reset the roster or sell off secondary parts?**
Steve Kerr has been open about the state of the Warriors roster even before Butler went down, calling the team a fading dynasty. Stephen Curry is still playing at an elite level but the remaining aging parts on the roster have largely underwhelmed and look a step below contenders in the Western Conference.
Golden State ownership may feel like they owe it to Curry to put the franchise’s best foot forward without Butler and make an honest playoff run for at least this season. In that case, finding help at the trade deadline will become a priority with Kuminga’s contract and other parts of the roster. However, a case can be made now for the Warriors to take a step back and start rebuilding some assets with Butler’s injury. The team can not apply for a disabled player exception to help replace him, so there is no direct path to replace Butler without taking away more from the roster.
Selling off some expendable parts now could start the process for the team recalibrating for next season and the future.
**Could Celtics benefit from a Warriors fire sale?**
Boston obviously is in the market for a big man and they lost Al Horford in part this offseason since he believed the Warriors had a better chance of competing than Boston without Jayson Tatum. Months later, the tide has suddenly turned on that front. Boston has been better than Golden State even without Jayson Tatum available and the Celtics star look closer to returning at some point in the next two months to potentially bolster a playoff run.
Could the Celtics make a run at bringing back Horford for a third time if the Warriors make him available? His $5.6 million salary makes a trade workable without taking too much away from the current roster. Adding payroll would be a pricey proposition given the repeater tax but there’s certainly no better low cost big man option available in the next few weeks.
It remains to be seen whether the Warriors will even make Horford available. He signed a two-year deal this summer (with a player option) and the team could be set on putting their best foot forward in the playoffs. However, this is a call Brad Stevens should make in the coming weeks as they work to fortify the roster as a strong East contender.