Golden State Warriors Rumors

Pacific Notes: Redick, Reaves, Podziemski, Suns, Nash

April 30th, 2025 at 8:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers coach J.J. Redick pushed back on the notion that the Lakers lost Game 4 of their series against Minnesota because he didn’t make any substitutions in the second half.

“Our two best players missed layups at the rim,” Redick said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I don’t think they missed layups because they were tired.”

Redick also gave his reasoning for the shorter rotation in conversations with his key reserves.

“I spoke to everyone (Monday) that would’ve potentially played in the second half,” Redick said. “They all understood it. There was no issue with that.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

At the brink of elimination, the Lakers must take a Game 7 mentality into the remainder of the series. Austin Reaves shared his thoughts on that subject with the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike. “You gotta treat every possession as an individual thing that you gotta go attack,” he said. “And the more the game goes on, obviously when you get to the fourth quarter and it’s a close game, those plays matter more than the one did the first two minutes of the game. But if you go in with a mentality like that of every single play matters and you execute to the best of your ability, you’re never gonna be perfect, but you’ll give yourself a good opportunity to win.”
Brandin Podziemski‘s season turned for the better with the addition of Jimmy Butler. Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained why to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “The thing with Brandin, we know he’s at his best when he’s a secondary play-maker, playing off the weak side (and) running through the catch, creating shots in the paint for himself and others,” Kerr said. “Once we got Jimmy, we were running a lot of offense through Jimmy, and that allowed Brandin to play on the other side. I think he’s at his best when he can do that.”
The Suns could have a number of assistants from playoff teams on their radar as their head coaching search continues. That’s why the process could drag on — they didn’t have to wait on Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer before hiring them, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes. Despite his longtime ties to the franchise and his head coaching experience, Steve Nash isn’t interested in the job, Marc Stein reports. Nash will be among the broadcasters for Amazon Prime next season.

Jimmy Butler Talks Pelvic Injury, Back-And-Forth With Brooks

April 29th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing Game 3 of the Warriors‘ first-round series vs. Houston due to a pelvic contusion, Jimmy Butler was back on the floor for Game 4 on Monday and played a key role in Golden State’s narrow victory. Speaking to reporters after the game, the star forward admitted he was in “a lot of pain,” per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“Did you see me on that chase-down of Dillon Brooks?” Butler asked Anthony Slater of The Athletic, referencing a second-quarter play when he had to sprint after Brooks to stop the Rockets forward from finishing an easy break-away layup (video link).

Butler got there and committed a foul to prevent the basket, but his mobility looked compromised and he wasn’t running full-speed, as he acknowledged after the game.

As Slater relays, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Butler would “probably miss another week or two” as a result of his injury if this were the regular season, which Butler didn’t dispute. “But it’s the playoffs and he’s Jimmy Butler,” Kerr said. “This is what he does.”

“He played through the injury,” teammate Draymond Green added, per Youngmisuk. “Was beautiful. But what his presence does for this team is humongous. The first three quarters, he couldn’t move. Not sure how he started moving in the fourth quarter, but he never complained. He stuck with it.”

Butler, who finished with a team-high 27 points, also recorded six assists and five rebounds while getting to the free throw line 12 times. He came up big defensively too, soaring in to grab a crucial rebound off a missed shot by Alperen Sengun that would’ve given the Rockets the lead with five seconds left in the game (video link).

As Green observed, Butler seemed to get better as the game progressed, scoring 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and not spending any team on the bench during that final frame.

“Your body starts to warm up. You start to feel a little bit better. You gain confidence,” Butler explained. “People start talking to you. Then good things happen.”

Asked whether his reference to “people talking” to him was about Brooks, Butler confirmed as much. When a reporter asked a follow-up question about whether he and Brooks were having “fun” going back and forth at each other, Butler made it clear that wasn’t how he viewed it.

“No, we’re not having fun,” Butler said (Twitter video link). “Get me on the record with this: I don’t like Dillon Brooks. We’re never having fun. I’m a fierce competitor. He’s a fierce competitor. There ain’t nothing fun about that. … I don’t think anybody is trying to be friends with anybody on either team, that’s for sure.”

Jimmy Butler Returns To Starting Lineup In Game 4

April 28th, 2025 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jimmy Butler is in the Warriors’ starting lineup in Game 4 of their series against the Rockets on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets.

The Athletic reported on Sunday that Butler was expected to play tonight after missing Game 3 due to a deep gluteal muscle contusion. Golden State managed to take a 2-1 lead in the series without Butler on Saturday. The Warriors forward was injured in the first half of Game 2 when he took a hard fall.

Coach Steve Kerr said during his pregame press conference that he was hopeful Butler would play and take on a usual workload, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater tweets.

“He’s not on a minutes restriction. It’ll just depend how he’s feeling,” Kerr said.

Butler was outstanding in the team’s 121-116 play-in victory over Memphis, racking up 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. He also starred in Game 1 of the first-round series with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Offense, Green, Sengun, Landale

April 28th, 2025 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets hold a $44.9MM club option on Fred VanVleet‘s contract for next season. The veteran guard hasn’t done himself any favors in the playoff series against Golden State. In the first three games, VanVleet made only 26.8% of his shots (11-of-41), including 20.7% of his three-pointers (6-of-29), while averaging 11.3 points and four assists in 41 minutes per game, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out. Game 4 is tonight.

“There’s times and places where I have to play better, I have to make shots at a higher clip,” VanVleet said. “I have to find rhythm and find ways to be more aggressive. But obviously, if I’m getting two on the ball at 28, 30 feet, I feel like I’ve done my job for that possession. If I can draw a mismatch and I can draw a best defender, there’s opportunity for other guys, I feel like I’ve done my job on that possession. So, it’s different ways to attack. I have to be better, 1,000%, and if I make two more shots we probably win Game 1. If I make a couple more (Saturday), we probably get out of here with a win, so that’s totally on me, for sure.”

We have more on the Rockets:

The Game 3 loss to Golden State, in which the Warriors survived the absence of Jimmy Butler, showed that the Rockets probably need an offensive star to be true contenders, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Houston, which was held to 85 points in Game 1, was limited to 93 points in Game 3. If the Rockets decide to go shopping for a roster upgrade, Jalen Green — who signed a three-year, $106MM extension in October — is widely expected to be part of the deal, according to Amick.
Houston needs to do a better job of holding down the Warriors’ role players, Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes. Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II combined for 33 points on 7-of-14 three-point attempts in Game 3. The Rockets also need Alperen Şengun to deliver in clutch moments. The center shot 7-for-18 from the field and made only one of six free throw attempts in Game 3.
Backup big Jock Landale, who has yet to play in the series, is listed as probable for Game 4, Lerner tweets. Landale has been recovering from a knee contusion.

Stephen Curry Named 2024/25 Teammate Of The Year

April 28th, 2025 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors star Stephen Curry has been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year for the 2024/25 season, the league announced today (via Twitter).

The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment to his team,” per the NBA.

The award isn’t voted on by media members. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner. Players receive 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place.

Curry just narrowly won this season’s vote ahead of Rockets center Steven Adams.

Here are this season’s full voting results, according to the NBA, with the player’s point total noted in parentheses:

Stephen Curry, Warriors (1,257)
Steven Adams, Rockets (1,237)
Jalen Brunson, Knicks (925)
DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets (897)
Nicolas Batum, Clippers (868)
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (850)
Al Horford, Celtics (834)
James Johnson, Pacers (751)
Jaylin Williams, Thunder (690)
Brook Lopez, Bucks (657)
Tobias Harris, Pistons (648)
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (552)

It’s the first Teammate of the Year award for Curry, though it’s the seventh time in a row that a point guard has earned the honor.

The award, which was introduced in ’12/13, had gone to either Mike Conley (2019 and 2024) or Jrue Holiday (2020, 2022, and 2023) in five of the past six seasons, with Damian Lillard claiming it in 2021.

Warriors Notes: Butler, Hield, Curry

April 27th, 2025 at 4:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Warriors expect six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler will return from his deep gluteal muscle contusion in Game 4 of their ongoing series against Houston, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). A source informs Slater that Butler took part in an on-court workout ahead of the team’s eventual Game 3 victory against Houston on Saturday. He was held out so that his body could better recuperate, but the team is hoping he will return for Game 4 on Monday.

Butler suffered the injury during a scary fall early into Game 2, and has been sidelined ever since. Golden State has gone 1-1 without him.

On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania told colleague Malika Andrews (Twitter video link) that Butler had “no mobility” on Saturday, which ultimately led to the team’s decision to sit him.

Head coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, indicated that he considers Butler officially day-to-day, and has no idea whether or not the star forward will play, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).

There’s more out of Golden State:

With Butler shelved, Warriors guard Buddy Hield stepped up to help the club secure a Game 3 home win, Slater writes in another piece. An eight-point Hield run in the second quarter helped stabilize Golden State heading into the halftime break. He ultimately finished with 17 points and a plus-14 mark across 29 minutes of action. “I knew Robin was out, so I had to step up,” Hield said, referencing Butler’s repeated suggestion that he is the Robin to All-NBA guard Stephen Curry‘s Batman. “I had to be Alfred.”
Stephen Curry was the star of the show for the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday, Youngmisuk writes for ESPN.com. The two-time league MVP took it upon himself to score more against a tough Rockets defense, notching 25 of his 36 total points in the second and third quarters to propel his team to a 104-93 victory. “He’s one [of the] greatest players of all time,” Kerr said. “He’s 37. He’s one of the most well-conditioned athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over the years, to hit big shots, to only turn it over twice against that kind of pressure, he was brilliant.”
In case you missed it, Rockets forward Dillon Brooks defended teammate Amen Thompson‘s play on Butler that led to his injury.

Warriors’ Jimmy Butler To Miss Game 3

April 26th, 2025 at 6:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler will be inactive tonight as the Warriors host the Rockets in Game 3 of their playoff series, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Butler is recovering from a deep gluteal muscle contusion that knocked him out of Game 2 in the first quarter.

Butler had been listed as questionable and was expected to be a game-time decision. With his status leaking more than an hour before tip-off, he may not have been close to getting medical clearance from the training staff.

Butler was a huge presence in Golden State’s Game 1 win at Houston, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in 42 minutes. He only played eight minutes in Game 2 before landing hard on his back after a collision with the Rockets’ Amen Thompson (Twitter video link).

On Friday, coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Butler is “day-to-day” and described it as a “pain tolerance thing.” Butler tried to stay in Game 2 after the hard fall, but was in obvious discomfort and had difficulty moving.

Game 4 is set for Monday, so Butler will have just one more night off to recover.

Jonathan Kuminga will take Butler’s place in the starting lineup tonight, Charania adds. The fourth-year forward sat out the Warriors’ play-in game and the series opener, but he was on the court for 26 minutes in Game 2 after Butler’s injury, contributing 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting and hitting two of his five three-point attempts.

Kuminga will get another chance to impress Warriors management before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. He averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 47 games this season, but saw his playing time drop sharply after Butler was acquired at the trade deadline.

Rookie center Quinten Post will also start, according to Charania (Twitter link). Post hit 4-of-8 three-point shots in Game 2 and finished with 12 points in 25 minutes.

Western Notes: Brooks, Thompson, Green, Kuminga, Pelicans, Grizzlies

April 25th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets forward Dillon Brooks took exception to the idea that teammate Amen Thompson could be viewed as a dirty player for the play that injured Warriors star Jimmy Butler in Game 2 of the Houston/Golden State series. Asked about the subject on Friday, Brooks suggested that Butler’s teammate Draymond Green was more to blame, as Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press relays.

“I think the dirty player is Draymond, giving him a little push as regular basketball players do,” Brooks said. “And Jimmy’s fighting in the air for a rebound and stuff happens. Amen’s not a dirty player. He has (nothing) to do with being a dirty player.”

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Game 2 that he and the Warriors “didn’t think there was anything wrong with the play,” suggesting that it was unfortunate but unintentional. Kerr and his players didn’t think much of Brooks’ claim about Green, given the reputation that the Rockets forward has earned himself over the years.

“Dillon said that? Interesting,” Kerr replied when informed of Brooks’ remarks.

“It’s a little ironic, isn’t it?” Moses Moody said of Brooks’ comments, per ESPN.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

If Butler is forced to miss Game 3 as a result of his pelvic injury, will the Warriors lean on Jonathan Kuminga as his primary replacement? Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle weighs that question, given that Kuminga had been out of the rotation for three games and made just 4-of-12 shots from the field in his return to action on Wednesday. Anthony Slater of The Athletic also touches on that topic in a story with Kelly Iko of The Athletic that explores the keys to the series going forward.
In addition to the front office members reported earlier this week to be departing the Pelicans amid a basketball operations shake-up, veteran scout Chico Averbuck, who has been with the team since 2020, is leaving the organization, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Averbuck had strong ties to former head of basketball operations David Griffin, Scotto notes, having also worked with Griffin in Cleveland.
The Grizzlies were left searching for answers after blowing a 29-point first half lead and losing Game 3 to Oklahoma City on Thursday. Scotty Pippen Jr. said the game – which also included a Ja Morant hip injury – was “definitely frustrating,” while Santi Aldama, asked if it was the worst loss he has ever experienced, replied, “It would be hard to find another one like this.” William Guillory of The Athletic has the full story, with more quotes.

Injury Notes: Butler, Garland, Heat, Bucks

April 25th, 2025 at 6:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors swingman Jimmy Butler has been listed as questionable to play on Saturday vs. Houston and was referred to by head coach Steve Kerr on Friday as “day-to-day,” according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Kerr isn’t ruling out the possibility of Butler suiting up for Game 3.

“I’m relatively optimistic,” Kerr said. “I mean, Jimmy is Jimmy. We know he’s willing to play through anything, so we’ll see. I mean, this is a day-to-day thing for sure, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow, but I think there’s a chance he plays.”

Kerr noted Butler’s injury is “very similar” to the one Stephen Curry suffered in March, which cost the Warriors star two games.

“It’s a pain tolerance thing, that’s why he’s day-to-day,” Kerr added.

Butler isn’t the only Warrior whose status for Saturday’s contest is up in the air. Veteran guard Gary Payton II has been listed as questionable due to a right shoulder strain after averaging just under 14 minutes per night in the first two games of the series, Youngmisuk notes.

The good news for Golden State is that guard Brandin Podziemski isn’t listed on the injury report after being limited to 14 minutes in Game 2 due to an illness. Podziemski said he’s ready to go for Game 3.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland is listed as questionable to play in Game 3 vs. Miami on Saturday due to a big toe sprain on his left foot, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Garland has averaged 24.0 points and 7.0 assists per night in the first two games of the series, both Cleveland wins.
Heat big man Kevin Love (personal reasons) and guard Terry Rozier (left ankle sprain) will remain out for Game 3 on Saturday, but the rest of the roster is available, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). Rozier was unable to practice on Friday due to his ankle injury, Winderman adds.
While neither player would have been in the rotation, the Bucks have ruled out Tyler Smith (left ankle sprain) and Chris Livingston (personal reasons) for Friday’s Game 3 vs. Indiana, the team announced (Twitter links).
In case you missed it, while Shams Charania reported that Grizzlies star Ja Morant would miss Game 4 on Saturday vs. Oklahoma City due to his hip injury, Memphis isn’t entirely closing the door on the possibility of Morant suiting up, having listed him as doubtful. His injury designation is a hip contusion.

Warriors’ Jimmy Butler Questionable For Game 3 After Game 2 Exit

April 25th, 2025 at 2:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

April 25: The Warriors confirmed (via Twitter) that Butler has a pelvis and deep gluteal muscle contusion. He’s questionable for Game 3 on Saturday, per the team.

April 24: Butler avoided a serious injury and has been diagnosed with a deep glute muscle contusion, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). According to Charania, this is a best-case scenario for Butler, as his MRI revealed no structural damage.

Still, Butler’s status for Game 3 against the Rockets on Saturday is in “serious jeopardy.” The Warriors defeated the Rockets on the road in Game 1 behind strong contributions from Curry and Butler, but lost in Game 2 after Butler exited.

April 23: Warriors forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for the rest of Golden State’s ongoing Game 2 against the Rockets after a hard fall in the first quarter, Golden State’s PR team announced (via Twitter). He has been diagnosed with a pelvis contusion.

The 6’7″ swingman landed hard on his tailbone after Houston forward Amen Thompson was knocked off balance while battling for a defensive rebound and undercut him beneath the basket (Twitter video link via Dr. David J. Chao).

Butler finishes the game with three points on 1-of-2 shooting from the floor and 1-of-2 shooting from the free throw line, plus two rebounds, in just eight minutes.

Since Golden State acquired the six-time All-Star from Miami in a multi-team blockbuster trade in February, the team has rallied to emerge as a legitimate title contender. Butler has shored up the Warriors’ defense — and given them another major creator — alongside incumbent stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. An extended Butler absence could kill the Warriors’ title aspirations.

Another Golden State starter also departed in the first half — guard Brandin Podziemski is questionable to return after exiting the game with a stomach bug, per the Warriors (Twitter link).

Reserve forward Jonathan Kuminga, who had been removed from head coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation since the Warriors’ final regular season game, is now getting his first playoff run of the postseason. Guard Pat Spencer is also seeing some action in the rotation as a result of Podziemski’s absence.

Houston currently leads Golden State by double digits, 47-31, late into the second quarter. The Warriors beat the Rockets at home in Game 1 on Sunday.

A source informs Anthony Slater of The Athletic (via Twitter) that Butler will undergo imaging on Thursday. Slater observes that both Curry and Kuminga were recently diagnosed with pelvic contusions after their own hard falls, and each missed minimal time. Both had to manage the pain upon their returns but were able to play again fairly quickly.