Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently noted that Jimmy Butler is likely to return around February. That puts the Warriors in the unsettling position of having to create enough offense and win enough games to be in the postseason hunt through the first four or so months of the season for Butler's return to be able to elevate the team to contender status.
If the Warriors are going to resolve the offensive concerns that come from being without one of their top scorers and facilitators, then Gui Santos will be essential to their success.
In 2025-26, Butler ranked second on the Warriors in both points per game at 20.0 and assists per contest at 4.9. He'd even improved his three-point shooting to 37.6 percent on 2.2 attempts per outing after burying 30.8 percent the year prior.
That leaves a massive void in the rotation, as the Warriors lack the offensive firepower to simply replace Butler's nightly output with a single player.
Where Santos comes into play is as a developing forward who showcased the ability to excel in similar areas as Butler. In 2025-26, he took on a high-volume role for the first time in his career and ultimately produced new highs across the board—including 20.5 minutes per game after previously averaging no more than 13.6.
If Santos can sustain the momentum that his him trending upward on offense, then he can help the Warriors produce enough offense to survive without Butler until he's ready to return.
Gui Santos' development as a scorer, playmaker will be essential for GSW
Santos finished the 2024-25 season with averages of 10.7 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes on .458/.330/.690 shooting. Those aren't necessarily bad numbers, but they caused fair questions to be posed about how high his ceiling truly is.
Thankfully, Santos made significant jumps in every one of those areas in 2025-26 to marks of 16.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.0 threes per 36 minutes on .500/.351/.725 shooting.
Santos' elevated production was largely influenced by his breakout run after Butler's injury in mid-January. Over his final 32 appearances, Santos averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.7 three-point field goals made in 30.4 minutes per game on .510/.348/.740 shooting.
If Santos can offer the same type of production on a nightly basis while Butler is sidelined in 2026-27, the Warriors would go a long way toward at least matching their co-star's production.
No one player can replace Jimmy Butler, but Gui Santos can help
With Santos even emulating that production, the Warriors would at least have volume scoring and quality playmaking from the wings. That would take a great deal of pressure off of not just Stephen Curry, but Brandin Podziemski.
Golden State's backcourt pairing is productive enough to give the team a chance against most opponents, but Butler's efforts from the wings proved essential against teams with top-tier talent of their own at the 3 and the 4.
Santos may not be able to go shot-for-shot with a Kawhi Leonard or a Jayson Tatum, but he can at least give the Warriors fair value on offense. Defense is a question mark, but at this stage, Golden State needs to generate offense from somewhere if they're hoping to not overburden a 38-year-old point guard.
If Santos can continue to grow as an offensive player and offer the scoring and playmaking value he displayed in 2025-26, then the Warriors may just have enough firepower to be relevant once Butler returns.
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