The Golden State Warriors are reeling in the wake of Jimmy Butler's season-ending injury, with their chances of contending this season flying out the door barring a miracle trade before next month's deadline.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are unlikely to trade Butler in the next two weeks, but head coach Steve Kerr has perfectly -- albeit unintentionally -- outlined why the Warriors should consider moving the 6x All-Star in the wake of his injury.
Steve Kerr gives perfect reason for trading Jimmy Butler
Dealing Butler would be a brutal response to such a devastating injury, let alone when you factor in everything the 36-year-old has delivered the franchise and his impact since arriving before last February's deadline.
However, he's not the franchise superstar -- that title belongs to Stephen Curry. Golden State has a very short window as the 2x MVP reaches nearly 38-years-old, something Kerr alluded to in Wednesday's interview on 95.7 The Game.
Kerr spoke of the devastation in losing the opportunity of competing with the Curry-Butler-Green veteran core, with the Warriors believing they still had what it takes to be a legitimate threat despite an underwhelming start to the season.
“Guys like that (Jimmy) and Steph and Dray, they only get so many opportunities. And this was a real opportunity… I felt strongly that we could play with anybody when healthy.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 22, 2026
— Steve Kerr 🥺💔 pic.twitter.com/MnPjvgcW6J
While Kerr himself isn't and won't publicly discuss the idea of trading Butler, his words are the exact reason as to why the Warriors should consider such a move. The door and opportunity to realistically compete has been closed by this Butler injury, but perhaps it can be swung back open by a massive trade before next month's deadline.
Such a trade would have to include Butler -- how can Golden State compete with him and his over $50 million salary on the sidelines? The Warriors are unlikely to trade their star forward and Mike Dunleavy Jr. said so himself in Tuesday's press conference, but Jake Fischer of The Stein Line has left the door open slightly by stating on Thursday, "they don't plan to entertain any move involving Butler unless a truly top-tier trade target tries to push their way toward teaming up with Curry."
Curry is showing no signs of slowing down, becoming the oldest guard to be an All-Star starter while averaging over 27 points per game so far this season. Yet the Warriors can't take this level of play for granted. Who knows where Curry will be by the time the 2027 playoffs roll around in 15 months time, let alone Butler who will be 37 coming off one of the worst injuries an athlete can possibly suffer.
Butler has lost the opportunity, but it doesn't mean that Curry and Green should. Let's see if there's something that can revive Golden State's season, or whether this will ultimately prove a wasted campaign.