Warriors’ nightmare 2026 NBA trade deadline scenario after Jimmy Butler injury

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have won four championships together, but they are in the waning years of their NBA careers. The Golden State Warriors would love to contend for one more championship before the dynasty officially ends, and because of that, many assumed that the team would be trade deadline buyers. Adding to the aging core before it is too late made some sense.

However, the Warriors’ deadline plans were turned on their head when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL. It seems unlikely that the team will trade him, and without the six-time All-Star in the lineup, it is unlikely that Golden State will be able to contend for a championship. They just don’t have the assets and are not in the financial state to add big-name players to the roster right now.

One thing seems to be for sure come deadline day on Feb. 5, though, and that is that Jonathan Kuminga will no longer be playing for the team. Kuminga requested a trade the day he became trade-eligible on Jan. 15, and the Warriors’ nightmare trade deadline scenario would involve not finding a trade partner to deal him to.

Not getting anything back for Jonathan Kuminga would be a nightmare

Kuminga clearly wants out of Golden State. He has butted heads with Steve Kerr for the majority of his career, often being in and out of the rotation since the Warriors made him a first-round pick. Kuminga even sought out a change of home during his restricted free agency during the offseason.

It is also clear that the Warriors are ready to move on from Kuminga. They didn’t bring him back until late into free agency, and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t give Kuminga a very glowing endorsement with his recent comments.

“I’m aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand — on the market,” Dunleavy said. “So we’ll see how that unfolds.”

The Warriors’ decision-maker not only made it clear that Kuminga’s time in Golden State likely won’t last much longer, but he also alluded to there not being much of a trade market for Kuminga’s services.

That has to be worrisome for the Warriors. The G-League Ignite product has only played one game in January, and he has had his worst season in years thus far. A lack of league-wide interest in the forward may force the Warriors into holding onto him for the rest of the season.

For starters, that could serve as a locker room distraction because Kuminga clearly doesn’t want to be a part of the team anymore. Furthermore, if the Warriors aren’t able to get anything for Kuminga via trade, then they will likely lose him for nothing in free agency. It wasn’t long ago that Kuminga was viewed as a high-potential player who held significant trade value.

The Warriors probably should rebuild or retool in some fashion, but they won’t because of what Curry and Green have done for the franchise. They are in eighth place in the Western Conference, but a tumble down the standings can be expected with the Butler news. Kuminga would have been the easy piece to get rid of. His fit with the team is questionable, but at age 23 with raw athletic traits, it could have been assumed that Kuminga could have netted a decent trade return.

That doesn’t appear to be the case, and Dunleavy’s recent comments did Kuminga’s trade value no favors, so it is looking more and more like the Warriors’ nightmare trade deadline scenario is going to become a reality.

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