The Golden State Warriors enter this offseason with more clarity than they had a month ago. Steve Kerr agreed to a two-year extension, removing one of the bigger unknowns hanging over the organization. Stephen Curry is expected to remain the centerpiece of whatever comes next.
The roster around him is a different story.
Golden State reshaped part of its rotation at the February trade deadline, moving Jonathan Kuminga and landing Kristaps Porzingis, who heads into unrestricted free agency this summer. The Warriors are widely expected to pursue re-signing him. But another situation is developing quietly in the background, one that could define the offseason in a more significant way.
According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, the Warriors could look to “gauge Butler’s trade market this offseason” as they continue evaluating their roster direction. The report signals that Jimmy Butler’s place in Golden State’s plans is not as settled as it might appear.
The reasons are straightforward. Butler tore his ACL in January and underwent surgery in February. The recovery timeline puts a realistic return somewhere in late 2026, meaning he would likely miss the early portion of next season at minimum. He will be 37 years old next season. And he carries a contract obligation of $56.8 million next season.
That’s not a small number. That’s not a minor complication. That’s a franchise-altering decision waiting to happen.
Let’s break down why the Warriors are considering trading Butler, what a potential deal could look like, and whether moving on from the 37-year-old star is the only way to maximize Stephen Curry’s remaining championship window.
The Butler Injury: A Timeline That Doesn’t Fit
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Let’s start with the medical reality.
Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January. Surgery followed in February. The typical recovery timeline for an ACL tear is 9-12 months. That puts Butler’s realistic return somewhere in late 2026 – maybe November, maybe December, maybe even later.
That means Butler would miss at least the first month of the 2026-27 season. Possibly two months. Possibly more.
For a Warriors team that finished 37-45 and missed the playoffs, every game matters. They cannot afford to start the season without one of their highest-paid players. They cannot afford to wait for Butler to round into form while the Western Conference leaves them behind.
Butler is 37. ACL recoveries for athletes in their late 30s are not the same as recoveries for players in their 20s. The risk of re-injury is higher. The likelihood of a full return to pre-injury form is lower.
The Warriors have to factor all of this into their decision.
The Age Problem: A Core That’s Getting Old Fast
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Al Horford are all over 35 years old, and trying to compete in a Western Conference with young players yet to hit the prime of their careers is a difficult task.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
Stephen Curry is 38. Draymond Green is 36. Jimmy Butler is 37. Al Horford (if he returns) is 40. The Warriors’ core is old. Not “getting older” – old.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference has shifted around them. The Oklahoma City Thunder are young, athletic, and deep. The San Antonio Spurs are building with generational talent. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks all have cores in their 20s.
The Warriors have watched that trend develop and largely stayed the course. But staying the course is not a strategy. It’s a hope.
The core has accomplished everything. Four championships. Six Finals appearances. But Father Time is undefeated. And the Warriors cannot ignore the reality that their championship window is closing.
The Green Situation: A Separate but Related Puzzle
Let’s not forget about Draymond Green.
According to Anthony Slater of ESPN, the Warriors have expressed “no intention to shop Green” this offseason. They still view him as a winning presence on both ends. His leadership has reportedly functioned like having an extra voice on the coaching staff.
Green holds a $27 million player option for next season. The most likely outcome involves a conversation about restructuring toward a longer, more team-friendly arrangement rather than a straight opt-in at the current number.
That’s a manageable problem. Butler is the bigger issue.
The Trade Market: What Could Golden State Get for Butler?
Now let’s talk about the hard part: what can the Warriors actually get for Butler?
Butler is 37. He’s coming off a torn ACL. He’ll miss part of next season. He’s owed $56.8 million. That’s not a desirable asset. It’s a complicated one.
The Warriors would likely need to attach additional assets to get a deal done. That could include young players like Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody, or draft picks.
The return would not be a star. It would be salary relief, maybe a young player, maybe a pick. The goal would not be to win the trade – it would be to create flexibility.
Here’s what a realistic trade might look like:
Warriors receive:
A player on an expiring contract (to match salary)
A young prospect
A future draft pick
Other team receives:
Jimmy Butler
A Warriors’ young player or pick (to incentivize the deal)
It’s not a blockbuster. It’s a salary dump with a silver lining.
The Porzingis Factor: Another Free Agency Decision
Let’s not forget about Kristaps Porzingis.
The Warriors acquired Porzingis at the trade deadline. He’s a 7-foot-3 shooter who can stretch the floor and protect the rim. When healthy, he’s a unicorn.
But “when healthy” is the operative phrase. Porzingis has a long history of injuries. And he’s about to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Warriors are widely expected to pursue re-signing him. But that will cost money – likely in the $20-30 million per year range.
If the Warriors are already paying Curry, Green, and Butler massive salaries, can they afford to add Porzingis? That’s the question.
Trading Butler would free up significant cap space, making a Porzingis extension much more feasible.
The Curry Window: Why This Decision Matters
Let’s zoom out.
Stephen Curry is 38. He’s still one of the best players in basketball – a top-10 player when healthy. But his window is not infinite. He has maybe two or three elite years left.
The Warriors need to maximize those years. They cannot afford to waste a season waiting for Butler to recover. They cannot afford to carry a $56.8 million contract for a player who might not be himself when he returns.
If trading Butler allows the Warriors to add a younger, healthier contributor – someone who can play from Day 1 of training camp – then it’s a move worth making.
The Kerr Extension: A Signal of Intent
Let’s not ignore the context.
Steve Kerr just signed a two-year extension. He didn’t sign up to coach a rebuilding team. He signed up to compete.
The Kerr extension says the Warriors want to win now. They want to maximize Curry’s remaining years.
That makes the Butler situation even more pressing. The Warriors cannot keep a $56.8 million player on the bench while they try to compete. They need every asset available.
The Risk of Standing Still
Let’s talk about the alternative.
What if the Warriors do nothing? What if they keep Butler, hope he recovers quickly, and try to compete with a 37-year-old coming off an ACL tear?
That’s a huge risk. If Butler isn’t himself – or if he gets re-injured – the Warriors would have wasted a year of Curry’s prime. They would have no flexibility. They would be stuck.
Standing still carries its own risk. The Western Conference is not waiting. The Thunder, Spurs, and others are getting better.
The Warriors have to be aggressive. They have to be creative. And they might have to make a difficult decision about Butler.
What the Warriors Should Do
Let’s put ourselves in Mike Dunleavy’s shoes.
Option 1: Keep Butler. Hope he recovers quickly. Hope he’s still the same player. Pay him $56.8 million. Miss part of the season. Compete with a compromised roster.
Option 2: Trade Butler. Attach assets if necessary. Free up cap space. Add a younger, healthier contributor. Use the flexibility to re-sign Porzingis. Build a roster that can compete from Day 1.
Option 2 is risky. It requires finding a trade partner. It might require giving up a young player or a pick. But it’s the only path to maximizing Curry’s window.
The Warriors should trade Butler. Not because he’s a bad player – he’s not. But because the timeline doesn’t fit. Because the money is too big. Because the Warriors need to be realistic about their championship chances.
The Golden State Warriors have a Jimmy Butler problem. He’s 37. He’s coming off a torn ACL. He’ll miss part of next season. He’s owed $56.8 million.
The Warriors could keep him. They could hope for the best. They could pay him and wait.
Or they could trade him. They could free up cap space. They could add a younger contributor. They could build a roster that maximizes Stephen Curry’s remaining years.
The Kerr extension says the Warriors want to compete. The Butler situation will reveal how they define that.
Trading Butler is not an easy decision. It’s not a popular one. But it might be the right one.
The Western Conference is not waiting. The Warriors shouldn’t either.