Jimmy Butler
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Jimmy Butler called out the Golden State Warriors after their loss to the Houston Rockets.
The Golden State Warriors’ decision not to trade Jimmy Butler following his season-ending ACL tear is no longer just a matter of public messaging from the front office. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, three concrete, league-wide realities make a Butler trade highly unlikely — even as Golden State reshapes its plans ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Stein’s analysis, published in The Stein Line, expands on comments already made by Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who said this week that he does not envision trading Butler. Around the league, Stein reports, that stance is not being viewed as posturing.
Instead, it reflects the Warriors’ practical and strategic constraints.
Marc Stein’s First Reason: Butler’s Contract Is Not Easily Movable
The most immediate obstacle, Stein noted, is financial.
“It is also considered unlikely… that the Warriors would try to use Butler’s contract in a trade like they used De’Anthony Melton’s last season,” Stein wrote.
Unlike De’Anthony Melton last season — whose expiring contract allowed Golden State to pivot quickly after his ACL tear — Butler’s deal presents a far more complicated equation. The 36-year-old is owed nearly $57 million next season, making his contract one of the largest in the league.
In practical terms, that salary would require a massive matching package, likely forcing Golden State to take back long-term money or compromise future flexibility — a cost that the Warriors are unwilling to pay.
Second Reason: Butler Was Working — and the Warriors Believe It
Stein’s second point cuts directly to basketball value.
Since acquiring Butler, Golden State is 46–22 when he plays, a pace equivalent to roughly 55 wins over a full season. Internally, the Warriors believed that the Curry-Butler-Draymond Green core had finally stabilized — and that one more quality addition could have made them a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
That belief matters.
Even with Butler sidelined, Stein reported that the Warriors still view his impact as proven, not theoretical. Trading him now would mean abandoning a formula the organization believes was close to contention before the injury.
Third Reason: A Human Element Complicates the Decision
Stein’s third reason is less quantifiable — but no less important.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Butler share a longstanding relationship dating back to their playing days together in Chicago. That familiarity introduces an added layer of trust and loyalty that complicates any purely transactional approach.
“There’s an extra human element in the equation,” Stein wrote, noting that this relationship has factored into how Golden State views Butler’s future beyond the injury.
Dunleavy has echoed that sentiment publicly, expressing confidence that Butler’s style of play can age well.
Dunleavy Reaffirms Commitment, Not a Pivot
While Dunleavy’s comments earlier this week were straightforward, Stein’s reporting provides the underlying logic behind them.
“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy said when asked about trading Butler. “My vision for him is to give us a boost next year, the same way he did last year when he arrived.”
At 36, Butler was still producing at a high level before the injury. In January, he averaged 21.3 points per game on 53% shooting, and he scored 17 points in just 21 minutes against Miami before suffering the ACL tear.
According to Jeff Stott of InStreetClothes, Butler is the second-oldest NBA player to tear an ACL since the 2005–06 season, underscoring the severity of the challenge ahead. Still, Dunleavy expressed optimism about Butler’s ability to return.
Warriors Shift Deadline Focus Without Butler
With Butler sidelined, Golden State’s attention now shifts to how — not whether — it acts before the deadline.
The Warriors control up to four future first-round picks and still have Jonathan Kuminga, who previously requested a trade, as a potential salary component in a larger deal.
“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here,” Dunleavy said, “it’s going to have to be a player that we think will be here when those picks are going out.”
A Decision Rooted in Reality, Not Emotion
The Warriors’ reluctance to trade Butler is not rooted in sentimentality alone. It is grounded in contract mechanics, competitive belief, and organizational continuity.
Yet the Warriors are also facing an organizational dilemma on how to maximize Curry’s remaining championship window with their second-best player out for the rest of the season and into the start of next season.