The Warriors will reportedly consider all their options leading up to the February 5 trade deadline, but it’s unlikely that they’ll include Jimmy Butler in an in-season trade after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear, Marc Stein writes for The Stein Line (Substack link). General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said as much on Tuesday, and that wasn’t just posturing, according to Stein.
As Stein explains, while the Warriors went that route with De’Anthony Melton last season after he tore his ACL, Melton was on a modest expiring contract, whereas moving Butler’s deal ($54.1MM this season, $56.8MM in 2026/27) would be far more complicated. Additionally, Golden State has posted a 46-22 regular season record with Butler on the court since acquiring him last season and still believe he can return and help the team before the end of the 2026/27 season.
On top of that, there’s the human element to consider, Stein notes. Dunleavy played with Butler in Chicago before his retirement as a player and has known him for more than a decade, which could make the Warriors’ GM more reluctant to part ways with the star forward in the early stages of his recovery from a serious injury.
Here are a few more rumors and notes from Stein:
- Ja Morant‘s popularity in Memphis will be a factor the Grizzlies take into account as they weigh trade scenarios involving the two-time All-Star, says Stein. In Stein’s view, the Grizzlies would have a hard time selling their fans on a return similar to the one Atlanta got for Trae Young earlier this month (CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert) and would probably need to get back more than a couple favorable veteran contracts to make a deal worthwhile. Given the limited league-wide interest in Morant so far, extracting a stronger package that includes intriguing young talent and/or draft assets will be a challenge.
- The Sixers and Mavericks are among the teams with multiple players on two-way contracts whom they want to promote to their standard roster before the end of the season, Stein writes. A league source says Philadelphia is expected to find a way to convert both Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, and Stein believes Dallas will seek a path to promote both Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse. The 76ers currently have one open standard roster spot but are operating in tax territory, while the Mavs have a full 15-man roster and minimal flexibility below its second-apron hard cap.
- As we outlined over the weekend in a Front Office story, the Sixers are fast approaching their limit of 90 “under-15” games — a team carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster can only use a total of 90 active games for all of its two-way players, and Philadelphia is now at 86. That means in order to keep Barlow and Walker active beyond this Saturday, one will have to be promoted sooner rather than later, or the 76ers will have to fill their 15th roster spot with a newcomer.
I have a feeling this will be the last season under Kerr.
Only if that’s what Curry wants
I’m sure Steph has sway but he ain’t the boss. Shock horror but Steph playing elsewhere is the best for rebuilding and starting fresh. Huge summer coming up for warriors front office. A) ride this until the wheels completely fall off. B) Bite the bullet, take the hate and make hard decisions.
He’s the biggest star in Golden State history he has probably all the say
Owners gotta get prepared for life after Steph either way. Steph does deserve to go out however he wants. If that’s Golden State, cool. If not, pull the trigger.
You are correct that most likely Kerr is retiring after this season. There have been meetings behind the scene with warrior management. Just after Butler was injured there was a big meeting and surprised Kuminga was playing.
They are way ahead of you. The owners know who made them their money. They’ll do what Curry wants.
Is that what you got from ‘Steph deserves to go out however he wants. If with Golden State, cool. If not, pull the trigger’
Thanks Giants.
The owners are prepared for life after Curry. They know how these things go. The books are clean after next season. Dunleavy isn’t trading any picks. Curry is well on his way to making more money away from basketball.
Barlow is absolutely deserving of getting his contract converted. He has been a very solid contributor in his small sample
Warriors are sticking to their 2027 plans. Do they know something we dont know? KD was literally a done deal when he came to Warriors.
Warriors know a rebuild is sooner than later and in 2027/2028 they will have a lot of money to spend when Butler and Green deal is off the ledger.
Unless the Bucks outwardly state “We are keeping Giannis and making him a 1-team player” he is likely gone. With that being known, what exactly is stopping Kuminga+Draymond+Buddy+3 FRP+pick swap for Giannis+Thanasis from happening? Name the better package that a team actually would put down for Giannis? Keep in mind the Spurs and Thunder have both stated they have no interest in Giannis.
Name the better package than Kuminga+Draymond+Buddy+3 FRP+pick swap for Giannis+Thanasis that actually gets put on the table, go:
Sanity….
Forgot all about this. Luke help us out !!!!!
Will Warriors now get an Injury exception for Jimmy Butler ????
That can help for sure. Could even affect how they handle JK.
No injury exception. The deadline to apply was Jan. 15.
A disabled player exception wouldn’t have helped much anyway, since it wouldn’t have allowed them to surpass their hard cap (which they’re $300Kish away from).
OK thanks Luke. Yeah that cap. Got it