The Warriors’ hopes of going on a run this postseason took a big hit on Monday when star forward Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL, meaning he will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
Less than a year ago, the Warriors traded for Butler and their championship aspirations were revived. They went on a run with hopes of making it to the NBA Finals before Steph Curry’s injury in the Western Conference semifinals cut their postseason short.
Heading into this year, what was supposed to be their first full season with Butler, the Warriors felt like they could contend. They certainly endured some bumps early over the first couple months of the season, with head coach Steve Kerr acknowledging that Golden State is a “fading dynasty.”
Now that Butler is out for the season, there is less optimism for the Warriors heading down the stretch this season. After their loss to the Raptors on Tuesday, Draymond Green got candid on the team’s outlook going forward.
"First order of business is trying to figure it out. There’s no one answer, the one answer isn’t anyone here. That’s not gonna happen. Jimmy is who Jimmy is for a reason,” Green told reporters. “To think that A, one person’s gonna fix it or B, we’re gonna fix it in one day. That’s not realistic. That would be lessening the value of what Jimmy brings and we know what that value is.”
Draymond said the Warriors could win a championship last year at the All-Star break after acquiring Jimmy Butler — and now the tables have turned completely.
— KNBR (@KNBR) January 21, 2026
"Shit I don't know. We gotta go through it... we'll figure it out. Nature of the game we play. Injuries happen. But I… pic.twitter.com/VOmRCozHup
Green continued, “S— outside of that, I don't know. We gotta go through it, we’ll go through it, we'll figure it out. That’s the nature of the game we play. Injuries happen. That’s why you got 15 on the roster, someone else or collectively [we’ve] got to step up. But I believe we can figure it out. What that means for us long term? I don't know."
In the Warriors’ first game without Butler on Tuesday, Jonathan Kuminga saw time on the court for the first time in a month, recording 20 points, five rebounds and two assists. The disgruntled forward demanded a trade last week after he’s become a healthy scratch since Dec. 18, but could become a regular part of the Warriors’ rotation again in the wake of Butler’s injury. Golden State will reportedly still look at trade offers for Kuminga until the deadline.
More: How Jimmy Butler’s Season-Ending Injury Affects Jonathan Kuminga
Between the team’s aging core, Butler’s injury and Kuminga’s trade demands, the Warriors will have plenty of decisions to make with the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 5.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Draymond Green Got Brutally Honest on Warriors' Outlook After Jimmy Butler Injury.
