There’s this weird quiet around Golden State right now. Not the calm-before-the-storm kind. More like that thick tension before something big drops. Stephen Curry’s still doing his thing, still chasing rings like he’s 26. But everything around him? Starting to feel like a mess. You’ve got whispers about the front office, growing concerns about rotations, and the kind of subtle chaos that creeps up when a team doesn’t quite know what it wants to be anymore.

And in that fog, all eyes are on one high-stakes balancing act. Steph’s got maybe a couple of prime years left. Draymond’s still strong enough to take a few more technicals. And Kerr’s calling the shots. But behind the curtain, it’s decisions about Jonathan Kuminga and Jimmy Butler that could change everything. One misstep could shake the chemistry, or worse, rattle the one guy they can’t afford to lose: Steph. And if the latest insider chatter holds true, that fuse may already be lit.

Chuck Walter broke it down on Locked On Warriors in a way that hit different. “Play JK at the start of the year and let his stock rise and then trade him,” he said. Simple logic: Kuminga is 22, can score, has bounce, and still flashes upside. The goal? Inflate his numbers with big early-season minutes, then flip him before the trade deadline. Walter didn’t sugarcoat it: “When you buy a stock for 130 dollars and it dips to 4.50, you don’t dump it there.” But that plan isn’t just risky. It’s political. And it might cost them more than they realize.

Especially when you add this: “Jonathan Kaminger or Steve Kerr, if you had to choose between one. And let’s tie to the fact that if you chose Kamingo over Kerr, you’re pissing off Steph Curry undoubtedly.“ That was again Chuck Walter on the show, and it hit like a warning. The Kings already threw out a soft offer- rookie Devin Carter and two seconds. The Warriors passed fast. But the message? Brutal. Even a guard-hungry rival didn’t want to pay up. And if Steph gets wind that the team’s juggling his championship window over a weak market game, how long before that frustration shows?

The thing is, Jonathan Kuminga’s not dead weight. He put up 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and shot 45.4% last season. Enough juice to be worth something. Meanwhile, Steph was still Steph- 24.5 points, 6 assists, and carrying more than he should’ve had to. If they fumble Kuminga and whiff on Butler, they could end up with nothing but bloated contracts and a ticking clock on their greatest-ever player. That’s the stuff that doesn’t stay quiet forever.

Because right now, every single move Golden State makes has to serve one purpose- protect what’s left of Curry’s prime. Nothing else matters. But instead of clean decisions, we’re getting uncomfortable gambles. And the Jimmy Butler situation? That might just be the wildest of them all.

The Warriors’ Jimmy Butler gamble

Jimmy Butler’s resume is stacked. But now, at 35, the Golden State Warriors are dropping 121 million dollars over two years on a guy who’s been banged up in back-to-back postseasons and “did not play good basketball,” per Walter. And it’s not just about wear and tear. It’s about fit. Butler’s taking up nearly 39% of the 2026–27 cap. That’s massive for a guy whose best days might already be behind him.

Even Pat Riley didn’t fight to keep him. Just told him, “You can go.” And this is Miami we’re talking about. Loyalty is everything there. So if they’re walking away, what does it say that Golden State is going all in? Walter warned clearly: “Jimmy extension could be a disaster if he ages poorly.” With a falling field goal rate and rising injury concerns, the gamble feels heavier than the reward.

So now it’s juggling Kuminga without losing Kerr, riding with Jimmy while hoping his legs hold up, and keeping Stephen Curry from looking around wondering what’s going on. It’s tightrope season in the Bay. And if the front office trips, the fallout might finally rattle the one guy who’s held it all together.