The Golden State Warriors are anticipated to discover a variety of potentialities forward of the February 5 commerce deadline, however an in-season transfer involving Jimmy Butler seems extremely unlikely after the veteran ahead suffered a season-ending ACL harm.
Marc Stein stories in The Stein Line that normal supervisor Mike Dunleavy Jr. made that stance clear on Tuesday, and that the message wasn’t merely public posturing.
As Stein factors out, Golden State did commerce an injured participant final season after De’Anthony Melton tore his ACL, however the circumstances have been very totally different.
Melton was on a comparatively small expiring contract, making a deal far simpler to execute. Butler, alternatively, is owed $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million in 2026/27, creating vital monetary and logistical hurdles for any potential commerce.
There’s additionally the on-court issue working in Butler’s favor. Since buying him final season, the Warriors have gone 46-22 in regular-season video games when Butler has been accessible, and the group nonetheless believes he can return from the harm in time to contribute earlier than the tip of the 2026/27 marketing campaign.
Past contracts and wins, Stein notes that private relationships may additionally play a job. Dunleavy was a teammate of Butler’s throughout their time with the Chicago Bulls earlier than Dunleavy retired as a participant, and the 2 have recognized one another for greater than a decade.
That historical past may make the Warriors’ entrance workplace particularly hesitant to maneuver on from Butler whereas he’s nonetheless within the early phases of recovering from a critical harm.
Why a commerce involving Jimmy Butler appears unlikely: https://t.co/aKMJxE8LXE
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 22, 2026
