The Golden State Warriors had found their footing, had won 12-of-16, and were looking like the kind of veteran team that nobody wanted to face in the first round of the playoffs. The type of team that can pull off an upset.
Then Jimmy Butler tore his right ACL in the third quarter Monday night, something an MRI confirmed, the team announced.
It’s devastating news for the 36-year-old Butler, who is out for the rest of this season and part of next season (when he is owed $56.8 million). It’s devastating for hoops fans because Butler is the kind of character and hard-nosed player that makes the league more fun to watch (especially in the playoffs). Butler’s agent tried to put a positive spin on everything.
Here is Jimmy Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, to ESPN on the torn ACL diagnosis for Butler. He called it a "gut punch" but maintained "I've known for over 10 years now that Jimmy is going to win a championship before he is done. My belief in that is unwavering."
Full statement pic.twitter.com/HKeF47pHIk
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 20, 2026
Butler’s injury raises a big question:
Where do the Warriors go from here?
One thing is clear: This ends the dream of one more deep playoff run for Stephen Curry this season. Without Butler, this team is not that kind of threat (even with Butler, they knew they needed to add at the deadline). The Warriors were outscoring opponents by 7.6 points per 100 possessions when Butler was on the court, and getting outscored by 1.2 per 100 when he was off. He was the guy who fixed the Warriors’ age-old problem of the non-Curry minutes, but now that problem is back (the Warriors have a -5.5 net rating when both are off the court this season). Even in the minutes with Curry on the court and Butler off, the Warriors are basically a .500 team (+0.6 net rating).
There is no player available that the Warriors can trade for at the deadline who would make them a serious playoff threat this season. (There is that guy in Milwaukee, but the Bucks are looking to add around Giannis Antetokounmpo and are not trading him.) NBC Sports’ own Grant Liffman reported that the Warriors are not in discussions for someone such as Anthony Davis, but that the team also is not going to pivot and try to tank into the lottery.
This injury has to make the Warriors pivot to thinking about next season and how they can rework the roster a bit, bringing in guys who fit around Curry and make that playoff run then. Better shooters (besides Curry), better defenders, and help along the front line. That’s a lot more than can be done at the deadline, those are offseason questions.
It also raises one other big question.
What about Jonathan Kuminga?
In the wake of the injury, coach Steve Kerr said he was open to moving Kuminga back into the rotation. Kuminga’s camp said he will be ready for the opportunity if and when it arrives.
Those are all nice words, but whether he plays a few minutes or not changes nothing on the ground. The Warriors will continue to talk to teams about a Kuminga trade, but the market for him is limited, and the teams interested are more likely to see it as a flyer on a talented athlete — they are not going to give up anything of real value in that deal. The Warriors can find the most palatable of those trades and move on from Kuminga.
Or, the Warriors can hold on to Kuminga through the NBA Draft and into the summer (picking up his player option), looking to combine his expiring salary with other players in a bigger trade. That has to be on the table now, with the team looking at next season (and beyond). It may even be the smart option.
Whatever happens with Kuminga, the Butler injury changes how they view everything now. It’s not about this season any longer.