Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy addresses media in the wake of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury

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Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy addresses media in the wake of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury

Kenzo Fukuda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jan 21, 2026 ·

6 min read

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Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy addresses media in the wake of Jimmy Butler's season-ending injury appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

SAN FRANCISCO– It's an expectedly somber atmosphere at Chase Center in the wake of Jimmy Butler 's season-ending ACL tear. From the fans lining up outside pregame for a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors that feels meaningless in the grand scheme of the injury to team employees and security guards going through the motions as they roam the halls of the arena. There's a Butler-sized crater in the center of both the Warriors' roster and the hearts of the team, the players, and the fanbase.

"I just feel terrible for him that he's gonna miss the rest of the year," coach Steve Kerr said in his pre-game media availability . "It's just part of the game. I know injuries are part of it, but it hurts for sure."

Ahead of the Warriors' first game post-Butler's season-ending injury, general manager Mike Dunleavy spoke to the media about the direction of the franchise in the critical coming days.

"Tough 24 hours for the group, especially crushed for Jimmy," Dunleavy said. "I don't have a positive twist on the news. It's not good. ACL injuries are not things that you can be positive about, but you know, this will all come out well in the end, and we'll move forward."

With two weeks until the trade deadline, everything is up in the air for Dunleavy and the Warriors as the organization scrambles to figure out what to do to rebound from the loss of their second-best player, a situation that was already fragile at best, given the closing window of this era.

What's on the table for Dunleavy and the Warriors?

Dunleavy kept what the Warriors are angling for close to his chest. But the Dubs' general manager addressed some of the burning questions regarding the Warriors' trade deadline plans, specifically what they're willing to part with and how they value their draft capital.

"Our picks always will and have been in play. To give up our picks, it's got to be meaningful to get something back," Dunleavy said. "And so for that reason, there's only so many players out there that probably we're putting stuff like that on the table… if we're talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn't here, it's going to have to be a player that we think we'll be getting back, that is going to be here when those picks are going out."

Dunleavy also used the same reasoning for using their salary cap space beyond 2027– there's a willingness to sacrifice draft picks and use precious cap space to take on bigger and longer contracts if it's the right player.

What that right player is, only Golden State truly knows, but it seems to rule out marginal moves below a superstar-esque player.

But while their draft picks are on the table, the Butler's mega $54.1 million salary is not. Dunleavy balked at potentially using Butler's contract to go star hunting, saying he does not envision going down that cold-blooded pathway.

What remains up in the air is the future of Jonathan Kuminga and what the Warriors decide to do with him. Dunleavy talked about the 23-year-old's trade demand, hinting at the scarcity of his trade market in one of the more telling quotes of his presser.

"As far as the [trade] demand, I'm aware of that," Dunleavy said. "In terms of demands, when there's a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we'll see how that unfolds."

How it's unfolded so far hasn't been encouraging. The Sacramento Kings have floated the same stale Malik Monk/Keon Ellis trade, while the Los Angeles Lakers , Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls have only shown minimal interest. Essentially, nothing the Warriors would value has been offered . It signals that if nothing improves market-wise, the Warriors may turn to trying to recoup Kuminga's value by playing him in the absence of Butler.

How Jimmy Butler 's doing post-ACL tear

The preliminary plan for Butler moving forward is to decide on a surgery date to repair the torn acute cruciate ligament in his right knee. The idea is for him to attack the rehab process and have him back by this time next year.

"It's a very recoverable injury," Dunleavy said. "We're optimistic about it."

The general manager expressed that Butler remains in good spirits despite the devastating injury. Based on how he posted a photo of himself dubbed "General Soreness" in a general's uniform and the fact that he was cracking jokes while teammates helped him off the floor, that certainly seems like the case from the outside looking in.

"I hate it for him, on a personal level, former teammate," Dunleavy said. "I've been through some injuries and surgeries, but never an ACL or something that significant. So I know he's got a long road ahead, but he'll have the support of our group, our organization, our medical side."

Kerr expressed the same sentiment for Butler.

"Just disappointed for Jimmy. You know, he's having a great year. I felt like the last couple of weeks, at the top of his game," Kerr said. "Obviously, we'll miss Jimmy, and he's one of the best players in the league, so you can't minimize that, trivialize it, but you play with who you have, and I like who we have."

Golden State will turn to the depth they've touted in their 12-4 stretch over the last 16 games. Kerr said there will be some experimenting and tinkering over the next few weeks, but remains confident in the group that remains.

"I think we have enough to compete," Kerr expressed. "I think Al and Melton have given us a different dynamic. A lot of our young players, Quentin and Richard, those guys are ready to contribute. They have contributed. We've got depth, so we can keep this thing going."

Golden State has until February 5th to decide its next course of action. They're willing to use their draft capital, and they're willing to take on big money, but it has to be for the right player.

Whether that materializes and whether Kuminga's market materializes remains to be seen. The one thing that remains certain is their need to maximize the final years of Stephen Curry. Their decisions in the next few weeks will dictate the course of the final chapter of a storied career.

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