With the trade deadline coming soon, the Golden State Warriors are running out of time to upgrade their roster. Following Jimmy Butler III’s season-ending injury, their strategy for pursuing trade pieces has changed, according to an NBA Insider.
League Insider Shares Update on Golden State Warriors Following Jimmy Butler III’s Injury
Losing an All-Star-level player to injuries mid-season always stings for any team. For the Warriors, it hurts even more considering how they’ve struggled throughout the season.
Butler was their second-best offensive weapon on any given night. With him gone due to an ACL tear, opposing defenses can focus on hounding Stephen Curry. Something that could cause their already struggling offense to come to a halt.
Taking this into consideration, the Warriors are reportedly intensifying their pursuit of talent ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. According to Insider Brett Siegel, even Butler’s contract is now available in trade talks as the front office desperately looks for ways to become a contender.
“All options will be on the table for the Warriors with nearly two weeks before the trade deadline, including the possibility of trading Butler,” Siegel wrote. “Butler is making $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million during the 2026-27 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent.”
The Warriors trading Jimmy Butler is on the table, per @BrettSiegelNBA
“All options will be on the table for the Warriors with nearly two weeks before the trade deadline, including the possibility of trading Butler to try to maximize their championship push this season. Butler… pic.twitter.com/5YimJH1D1D
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 20, 2026
Before Butler’s injury, it seemed like the Warriors were finally clicking. They’d won three straight ahead of their game against the Miami Heat, where Butler was injured, tying their longest win streak of this season.
Despite losing Butler midway through the third quarter, the Warriors rallied to extend that streak to four. Despite their recent string of success, the question for the Warriors is no longer about how deep they can get in the postseason. Instead, it shifts to whether they can even secure a berth in the first place.
With several of their assets up for grabs, the Warriors still have time to secure win-now talent. Now that the front office is also willing to include Butler’s contract in trade talks, the field might have just gotten bigger for them.
Putting Butler in a trade package for a disgruntled star is now a possibility, and there are a few of those around the league. A team that’s considering letting a star go might be willing to absorb Butler’s contract, knowing that they’re headed for a rebuild anyway.
This will still hurt the Warriors’ long-term plans as they likely have to let some picks go. However, if the priority is to keep the team contending while Curry is still playing, it’s a sacrifice they’ll have to make.
