WHAT ARE THE WARRIORS PLANS WITH JIMMY BUTLER AND JONATHAN KUMINGA AFTER DEVASTATING INJURY?

January 22, 2026·1 hr 3 min·5 clips

Stevie's sharpest line: if protecting post-Steph draft picks is truly the Warriors' priority, the logical conclusion is to trade Curry today—because picks are worthless without a star to pair them with.

1. Golden State with Mates discusses the Warriors' trade-deadline strategy after Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending ACL injury. 2. The episode features regular guest Stevie, who is described as one of the hosts' closest basketball-discussion partners and a longtime Jimmy Butler fan dating back to Butler's 2020 Miami run. 3. The central question is whether the Warriors should trade Jimmy Butler before February 5th or absorb his $56.7 million next-year guarantee and try to maximize Steph Curry's remaining contention window. 4. Butler's extension was framed as protection against exactly this type of catastrophic injury, giving him full guaranteed salary for the remainder of this season and next year regardless of his recovery. 5. GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. responded to a direct question from The Athletic's Anthony Slater about a potential Butler trade with 'I don't envision that,' a phrase the hosts interpret as deliberately leaving options open. 6. The hosts argue the Warriors have a cultural obligation to not immediately trade an injured superstar, citing the Damian Lillard situation in Milwaukee as a cautionary tale for how franchise decisions signal to future free agents. 7. Jonathan Kuminga's trade value and future are discussed at length: the hosts note his brief return against the Raptors where he scored 20 points in 21 minutes after 16 straight DNPs and nearly six weeks of limited action. 8. Stevie argues that the Draymond Green trade conversation should be more prominent than the Kuminga conversation, since Draymond has $27 million and an additional year remaining while Kuminga is on an easier-to-move expiring deal. 9. The Draymond optionality argument centers on the claim that keeping a $27 million non-scoring player on the roster is only justified if the Warriors are genuine contenders—a premise Stevie says the Butler injury has now undermined. 10. The most fully-developed trade proposal pairs Jimmy Butler and Kuminga going to Brooklyn in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and Nicolas Claxton, with the Nets potentially adding a four-to-six million dollar player to balance salaries. 11. Stevie describes Claxton as a top-15 center who can defend on the perimeter at 6-foot-11, switch effectively, and provide the vertical spacing and lob threat the Warriors lack next to Draymond. 12. Michael Porter Jr. is called a top-15 individual offensive player this season, with the hosts acknowledging that pairing him with the Warriors' spacing system could benefit players like Pojemski and Moses Moody. 13. The hosts debate whether Lauři Markkanen or Michael Porter Jr. would be the better addition, concluding the gap between them is smaller than perception suggests and that Porter's shot-making window is narrower and therefore arguably more durable in playoff basketball. 14. The Sacramento Kings are discussed as a potential Butler trade partner, with Stevie and the host debating a Butler-for-Domantas Sabonis swap, which is ultimately dismissed because Sabonis and Draymond cannot coexist in the Warriors' scheme. 15. Anthony Davis is mentioned as a trade target but rejected given his injury history. 16. The 2027 free-agency class—including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Murphy—is discussed as the Warriors' potential off-court optionality, though the hosts are skeptical Giannis reaches free agency rather than signing an extension or forcing a trade. 17. Stevie's closing argument frames the entire debate: if post-Steph draft picks are the Warriors' true priority, the logically consistent action is to trade Curry today, because the team's pick stockpile is far weaker than OKC's and half the fan base will disappear once Curry leaves. 18. The episode is a two-host debate format with data-driven salary analysis, frequent references to specific contract figures, and a conversational tone that occasionally includes personal asides. 19. Best for Warriors fans who follow trade-deadline reporting closely and want granular salary-cap discussion paired with basketball analysis. 20. Likely too inside-baseball for casual NBA fans who don't know current Warriors roster construction and specific contract values.

As heard by us

A focused Warriors deadline discussion that turns Butler's injury into immediate roster pressure.

Jimmy Butler's season-ending ACL injury gives the Warriors discussion its edge, and the episode spends its time on what Golden State might do next before the deadline after losing a major piece.

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Hear the Warriors' deadline reaction after Jimmy Butler's season-ending ACL injury.

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