Jimmy Butler's recent approach to the Golden State Warriors asking about their free agency plans was significantly overblown on social media, but it doesn't mean there's not a cause for concern less than two weeks out from training camp.
Butler will again play a major role as Stephen Curry's sidekick (or Robin as Butler himself likes to put it) this season, yet it's his impact when the 2x MVP is off the floor that will be just as valuable in Golden State's potential success.
One of the biggest positives and reasons to trading for Butler in February was to ensure that one of he or Curry could be on the floor at all times, allowing the Warriors to alleviate pressure on the 37-year-old franchise superstar.
That will once again be the case this season as the Warriors navigate a long regular season, but their current free agency stalemate with Jonathan Kuminga is already putting them at a disadvantage in a way that is less than ideal.
Warriors bench hasn't been finalized thanks to the free agency hold up
This is a point of the offseason where teammates have already gathered back at their training facilities to work out and build chemistry before training camp officially begins. Golden State don't really have the same opportunity though because the roster is only half-complete, with only nine players currently contracted deep into September.
It might not be much of an issue for the projected starting lineup -- Curry, Butler, Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski all played significant minutes together over the second-half of last season, while Al Horford is so experienced that he'll probably fit in rather seamlessly anyway.
The bench unit might be a different story. Butler will lead that group, but it still remains a mystery on what it could look like. DeAnthony Melton and Seth Curry are both likely to be involved, yet they're not actually signed despite the widely held expectation that they will once Kuminga's free agency is settled.
Kuminga himself might actually be the biggest piece of this. So much has been made of the impact Butler had on the young forward upon his arrival, particularly when you have Steve Kerr repeatedly talking about the fact those two and Draymond Green don't fit together effectively.
One way to change that is for Butler and Kuminga to get reps together before the season starts, potentially setting them up to lead a bench unit together that could be incredibly dynamic. The problem is that can't happen yet and the window for it is closing because Kuminga remains unsigned.
Butler has a right to be concerned when that second unit will be his, and when his overall effectiveness and impact on the team will be considerably determined by his ability to lead when Curry is off the floor.