Jimmy Butler’s ACL tear is a devastating blow for the veteran All-Star and cause for a reckoning in Golden State over its plans to compete in the back-end of Stephen Curry’s prime.
General manager Mike Dunleavy was on hand Tuesday night to address the Warriors’ short- and long-term plans ahead of Golden State’s home game against the Toronto Raptors.
He was asked about Butler’s future with the franchise as well as that of disgruntled forward Jonathan Kuminga, who’s been languishing on the bench amid poor play and a trade demand. And … let’s just say that he has divergent thoughts on Butler’s and Kuminga’s value on the basketball court.
Dunleavy not ready to tear things down
With Butler’s injury prompting chatter of a full teardown and the end of the era of competitive basketball with Curry, Dunleavy was asked about the prospect of trading away Butler’s contract, which has one year and $56.8 million remaining beyond this season.
Dunleavy said that he’s not entertaining the idea.
“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy said. “But now that you’ve brought it up, I guess I’d say what I envision for him is kind of giving us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived.
“And so, at some point during the season, him returning and being the player he’s been.”
That sounds like a man not ready to wave the white flag on the Curry era. It’s also sounds like the words of an optimist. Butler will be 37 next season and coming off one of the most serious injuries in sports.
Can Butler return to high-level basketball after ACL tear?
Butler’s been a boon for the Warriors and helped spark a run to the second round of the playoffs last season after arriving via a midseason trade. The Warriors made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed out of the play-in, then upset the No. 2 seed Rockets in the first round before falling to the Timberwolves in the second.
Butler’s arrival was a big reason for that success, and he was playing at an All-Star level this season (20 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.4 spg) before tearing his right ACL Monday night. If anyone’s capable of returning from an ACL tear to play at a high level at 37 years old, Butler’s the type of player to do it. And for now, at least, Dunleavy appears to be holding out hope that that’s how things play out
The alternative is not an appealing option and one that could mean dealing Curry while he still has trade value. They are not ready for that in Golden State.
What about Kuminga?
As for the short-term, Butler’s minutes just opened up, and they need to be filled. That could mean the end of Kuminga’s relegation to the bench. Head coach Steve Kerr opened the door to that possibility, telling reporters that Kuminga “could be” part of the rotation in Butler’s absence.
That would require a willingness on both sides to thaw an icy relationship. Dunleavy doesn’t sound eager to extend an olive branch. When asked about Kuminga’s trade demand, Dunleavy suggested that Kuminga might not drum up much demand for his services.
“I think as far as the demand — I’m aware of that,” Dunleavy said. “I think in terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be demand on the market. So, we’ll see where that unfolds.
The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5. The Warriors have a lot to figure out before then.
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