Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Tuesday night he has no intention of moving Jimmy Butler’s contract before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, even though the veteran forward will miss the rest of the season with a torn right ACL.
“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy told reporters in San Francisco. “My vision for him is to give us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived.”
Butler, 36, suffered the injury on an awkward landing against the Miami Heat earlier Tuesday. The setback is expected to extend into next season, when Butler will be 37. He is owed $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million in the final year of his deal in 2026-27.
The Warriors have previously used large expiring contracts to reshuffle the roster. Last season Dunleavy traded De’Anthony Melton, who had torn his ACL, to the Brooklyn Nets for Dennis Schroder and later sent Schroder to Miami in the package that brought Butler to Golden State.
Butler’s absence could open minutes for third-year wing Jonathan Kuminga, who has logged only 10 minutes in the past month and requested a trade last week. “I’m aware of it,” Dunleavy said of the demand. “He’s on our roster. Nothing’s imminent, and things in this league can change in a heartbeat, as they did last night. So he’s got to be ready.”
While the front office will evaluate potential moves over the next two weeks, Dunleavy cautioned that parting with future first-round picks would require a major return. “If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here, it’s going to have to be a player that we think will still be here,” he said. “That player’s going to have to be pretty impactful.”
The Warriors enter the stretch run trying to remain competitive around Stephen Curry despite Butler’s season-ending injury and Kuminga’s uncertain status.
Source: ESPN
