Even before Jimmy Butler went down with a torn ACL, the Warriors looked like a team stuck in the middle of the ocean without a compass. Now, with Butler sidelined and the trade deadline fast approaching, the question isn't just whether Golden State will make a move-it's whether they even believe there's a move worth making.
Despite the growing urgency around Stephen Curry’s shrinking championship window, it doesn’t sound like the front office is gearing up for a blockbuster. General manager Mike Dunleavy told reporters he couldn’t "envision" a Butler trade, and longtime league insider Marc Stein added an interesting wrinkle: Dunleavy and Butler share a history from their playing days in Chicago, adding a layer of personal connection that could complicate any cold, calculated roster decisions.
So if reinforcements aren’t walking through that door, what exactly are the Warriors doing?
In the two games since Butler’s injury, Golden State has looked like a team grasping for answers. First came an 18-point home loss to the Raptors-flat, lifeless, and lacking direction.
Then came a more competitive but no less frustrating loss to a sub-.500 Mavericks squad. Curry dropped 38 points in that one, doing everything short of selling popcorn at halftime, but it still wasn’t enough.
The rest of the roster couldn’t keep up, and a fourth-quarter lead slipped away.
To make matters worse, Jonathan Kuminga exited that Dallas game early with knee soreness. Just when the Warriors needed young legs and fresh energy, they got another injury report.
With Butler out, Curry is essentially a one-man offense. Nobody else on the roster has consistently proven they can create their own shot or carry a scoring load.
The next-highest scorer? Brandin Podziemski, at just 12.2 points per game.
That’s not a knock on the rookie-it’s a reality check on where this team stands.
If the current plan is to ride this out, the Warriors might already be drawing dead. They’re not guaranteed a play-in spot, and even if they sneak in, there’s no Plan B when defenses inevitably throw the kitchen sink at Curry. Without a secondary star to relieve pressure, Golden State’s offense becomes predictable-and in this league, predictable gets you beat.
So, what’s the long-term play here? Are the Warriors really banking on Butler returning sometime next season, at age 37, and somehow reigniting a title push?
Is the hope that Kuminga, in expanded minutes, can revive his trade value before the offseason? Or are we inching toward the unthinkable-blowing it up and starting over?
That’s the grim part. Curry is still playing at an elite level, still capable of swinging playoff series, still worthy of being on a contender.
But the team around him doesn’t look like one. And if there’s no clear direction forward, then these final years of his prime risk being spent in basketball purgatory-just good enough to compete, not good enough to matter.
The Warriors have always prided themselves on vision. They saw something in Curry when others didn’t.
They built around him with precision, patience, and purpose. But right now, it’s hard to see the blueprint.
If there’s a next chapter coming, it needs to arrive soon. Because running in place with a generational talent like Curry isn’t just inefficient-it’s a waste.