The Golden State Warriors just can’t seem to catch a break. Already reeling from the season-ending knee injury to Jimmy Butler, the team may now be staring down another significant blow-this time to Jonathan Kuminga, the player expected to absorb much of Butler’s lost minutes.
Kuminga went down in the second quarter of Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Driving hard to the basket, he lost his footing just as he was about to elevate for a layup.
He limped off to the baseline, clearly shaken, and tried to gather himself. It was a moment that had Warriors fans holding their breath-and for good reason.
Before the injury, Kuminga was off to a sharp start. In just nine minutes off the bench, he put up 10 points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field, adding two assists and two steals.
Jonathan Kuminga has gone back to the Warriors locker room after suffering an apparent leg injury on this play:pic.twitter.com/UmokAalcBg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 23, 2026
It was a continuation of the impact he showed earlier in the week against the Toronto Raptors, when he dropped 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, along with five rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes. That performance helped fuel a 145-127 win-Golden State’s first outing since losing Butler.
Now, the Warriors may be forced to recalibrate once again. Kuminga, just 23, was already the subject of trade rumors after expressing frustration with a diminished role.
But Butler’s injury appeared to shift the calculus, potentially opening the door for Kuminga to step into a larger, more consistent role. If this knee issue sidelines him for any length of time, not only does it complicate Golden State’s rotation, but it could also muddy the waters ahead of the trade deadline.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With the team trying to stay afloat in a crowded Western Conference, losing two key rotation players in quick succession is the kind of adversity that tests both depth and identity. Kuminga’s athleticism, defensive versatility, and ability to generate offense off the bench had become increasingly important to a Warriors team searching for rhythm.
As of the third quarter, Golden State was trailing Dallas, and the bigger question looms: how will they navigate the coming weeks if Kuminga joins Butler on the sidelines? The Warriors are no strangers to adversity, but this latest string of injuries has them walking a tightrope-and the margin for error is shrinking fast.