In the Warriors’ recent game against the Heat, Butler collided mid-air with Mitchell and took a knee to the side. He has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, ruling him out for the season. For the Warriors, this effectively closes their championship window. With luxury tax at $81.3M, second only to the Cavaliers’ $160M, this massive investment now goes to waste.
Butler’s impact is clear:
- +185 net rating this season, team leader;
- 6.1 win shares, top in the Warriors;
- On-court efficiency +7.6, off-court -1.2;
- 68 games since joining Warriors: 45-23 record, 66.2% win rate.
Despite criticisms of his scoring, Butler is the Warriors’ irreplaceable core. With him out, the team has two options: restart Kuminga or trade him — both nearly impossible.
The root problem lies with management:
- Delayed Kuminga’s trade, leaving rotation gaps;
- Tolerated Green’s disruptions, increasing Butler’s burden;
- Signed Butler to a $110M, 2-year max contract, limiting flexibility.
From Butler’s perspective, he’s blameless. Yet the Warriors’ management has systematically cornered the team. Even a major trade now would strip future rebuild assets, leaving Curry, at 38, to carry the load.
In short: the fault is not the player’s. Butler’s injury is tragic, but the seeds of this crisis were sown long ago.
