When the Golden State Warriors first traded for Jimmy Butler, it felt as though hope had finally arrived.
The Warriors were one of the best teams in the league after the trade deadline in 2024-25, and Butler's downhill abilities perfectly complemented the gravity that Stephen Curry possesses on the perimeter. Across those 30 games, Butler averaged 17.9 points on 47.6% shooting from the field.
Then Butler went down in the playoffs in Round 1 against the Houston Rockets. He wasn't the same for the rest of that run. Then, after the Warriors struggled to find their footing in the Western Conference in 2025-26, Butler went down with a torn ACL in January. At that moment, Golden State's season was over.
If the Warriors wanted to make a move for Butler, they had no choice but to extend him the two-year, $111 million contract he signed. After he felt he was under-appreciated with the Miami Heat, it was likely the only way to get him to buy in to a move to the Warriors.
But now that he's out until at least the middle of this season, Golden State is reportedly hesitant to move on from Butler's contract. The problem is, given the construction of their roster, it's likely their only route to pulling off a major move this offseason.
It's an unfortunate situation, but it's a prison of their own design.
Jimmy Butler's importance to Golden State leaves them in a deeply uncomfortable predicament this offseason
This isn't news to fans of Golden State. There was buzz around Butler's contract being moved in a Kawhi Leonard trade near the deadline, and virtually every major trade candidate this offseason has seen the Warriors floated somewhere in the conversation, even if they were never directly involved.
But NBA Insider Marc Stein reported earlier this week that, despite their engagement on the trade market, the Warriors remain hesitant to include Butler in any deal— likely due to both the implications of the roster but also the personal impact such a trade would have.
"Behind the scenes, however, Golden State continues to signal a reluctance to use Butler's contract when he's injured for a move like that. Consider the strong relationships with Butler held by Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and coach Steve Kerr. Butler and Kerr are frequently in San Diego in the offseason and known to cross paths." Marc Stein via Substack
When the Warriors traded for Butler, though, this was always a distinct possibility. Butler will be 37 when Golden State enters the second season of his contract, and there was always a world where his decline came quicker than expected, due to injury or otherwise. If the Warriors don't add a major star this offseason, and Butler doesn't return at the top of his game, this team is dead in the water.
That was always the risk the Warriors took on.
Even if they wanted to move Butler's contract, though, they would have to furnish a number of unprotected future first-rounders to entice any team to take that on in exchange for a star. Butler's contract holds no weight other than as a salary-matching tool, and it would take a perfect situation to even facilitate that sort of deal.
Golden State, therefore, is now stuck in an uncomfortable situation as Butler continues to rehab his ACL. It's almost impossible to conceive that it just goes away via trade.
Add us as a preferred source on Google