Jimmy Butler’s arrival last February changed the Golden State Warriors quickly enough to sharpen one simple truth: they were better with him and far worse when he was off the floor. That is why next season now looks so tricky for Golden State, with Butler set to begin it on the sidelines while he recovers from a torn ACL.
The Warriors do not just lose a six-time All-Star when Butler is unavailable. They lose the player who, in Marcus Thompson II’s view, changes how the offense has to function. Thompson said the team needs somebody Steve Kerr trusts enough to put the ball in their hands, but also someone who can still get 25 or 30 points. That is a hard ask for a roster already built around Butler’s unique fit, and even harder when Butler is making nearly $57 million.
That financial reality matters because it narrows the room for reinforcements. Golden State would need another scorer who can shoulder a heavy load while Butler is out, yet Butler’s contract and age make that sort of move difficult to pull off. He is 36, and the team is staring at a stretch in which it may have to survive without the player who most clearly tilts the floor in its favor.
The timing is the problem. If Butler returns at the start of the New Year, it would be nearly 12 months from the injury and 30 to 40 games into the season. By then, Golden State could be two-thirds or three-quarters of the way through its schedule, and Butler would still need time to ramp back up toward his best form. That leaves the Warriors exposed in the exact period when a playoff race can get away from a team.
Thompson put the pressure on plainly. “They have to find somebody Steve Kerr trusts enough to put the ball in their hands, but they also got to be able to go get you 25, 30,” he said. He added that Butler is “a devastating match up in a series,” but that value only matters if Golden State first gets there. “You got to get to the series. That’s what you need,” Thompson said.
That is the tension for the Warriors now. Butler’s presence can still swing a series, but his absence may decide whether there is a series to play in. Golden State has spent enough time around Butler to know what it gains when he is healthy. The question next season is whether it can stay afloat long enough for that to matter again.
