If history is a sign of things to come, then the Golden State Warriors must prepare to play at least 20 regular-season games without Jimmy Butler. It's an admittedly harsh statement to make, but it's a view that's based solely in statistical history rather than emotion.
In the event that Butler's annual tradition of missing 20-plus regular season games returns in 2025-26, then the Warriors would have a hard time justifying undervaluing Jonathan Kuminga.
Butler is a phenomenal player who deserves his accolades, if not more than what he's received up to this point in time. He's missed at least 20 games in four of the past five seasons, however, and has appeared in at least 65 just once since 2017.
With this in mind, Golden State must at least prepare for the possibility that Butler will play fewer than 65 games in 2025-26—or perhaps in the range of that number.
If that proves to be the case, then Kuminga is uniquely qualified to help fill the void he'd leave behind. Few can match what Butler is capable of on defense or late in games, but Kuminga can at least emulate his contributions as a scorer.
Golden State has quality young players who they hope will take a step forward in 2025-26, but Kuminga is far and away the best scorer among them—and perhaps their only realistic option to potentially fill Butler's void.
Warriors need scorers who can step up if or when veterans miss time
From a purely statistical perspective, Butler boasts career averages of 18.3 points per game and 19.9 per 36 minutes. Kuminga checks in at 12.5 points per game, but has made every minute count from a scoring perspective at 20.5 points per 36.
That type of volume is exactly what the Warriors will struggle to produce if Butler misses time in 2025-26, even if their other key players are healthy.
Brandin Podziemski would be tasked with helping to overcome any potential absences with the well-rounded nature of his game. His career-best up to this point was 15.7 points per 36 minutes, however, albeit while improving by 3.7 between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
It's fair to hope that Podziemski can take another step forward as a scorer, but even if he does, the context beyond the numbers would come into play.
Jonathan Kuminga can provide balance as a slashing scorer
Butler has made it this far as a scorer by relentlessly attacking the basket and punishing teams as both a finisher inside and a midrange shooter. He gets to his spots with efficiency and forces opposing defenses to account for all three levels instead of just the three and dunks or layups.
Kuminga's inefficient shooting has been a common talking point, but it's worth noting that he's shot 57.8 percent or better on two-point field goals in three of his four NBA seasons.
That level of efficiency within the arc is nothing short of invaluable—when he's on his game, of course. In 2024-25, he shot just 50.8 percent on said shots, which admittedly isn't horrible but is certainly a steep decline from where he was.
One simply can't help but wonder if a decrease in playing time and overall morale contributed to the quality he produced on the court.
Regardless of the concerns that exist, there's no way around how talented Kuminga is nor how ideal his skill set makes him for the goal of helping to alleviate pressure from Butler. Considering the roster otherwise lacks slashing players who can fight through contact and finish inside, the need for the 22-year-old to play meaningful minutes is simply unavoidable.
If the Warriors are actually willing to keep Kuminga involved when the stars are healthy, he could fill an essential void on a roster that needs him more than some might let on.