Jimmy Butler had lost his joy of playing basketball at Miami Heat last season. But when he moved to the Golden State Warriors last February, both his joy and smile returned. In the first instance, he made it clear that he belonged to the Bay. However, voices in the NBA believe that the front office might trade him following the ACL injury last Monday.

Well, those rumors are false. The Warriors’ belief in the 36-year-old’s impact and chemistry with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green is likely going to play a major role in keeping him on the roster despite the injury. Since he arrived, the Dubs have owned a 46-22 record. Moreover, NBA insider Kyle Har recently clarified the Warriors’ vision with Butler for next season.

On the Just Dubs podcast, the insider revealed, “The Warriors, when Jimmy does return next season, if they decide to keep him, they’re not going to play him on back-to-backs. He’s going to have a minute restriction to start when he does come back.”

Usually, the teams put players who return from major injuries on restricted minutes for the first few games. In fact, such players also get to sit out during back-to-backs and also find off days for injury management. The Golden State Warriors have been following these precautionary measures with De’Anthony Melton since his comeback in December 2025, after his season-ending ACL injury in 2024.

Experts of the game, however, see the Dubs trading Butler just the way they did with Melton last season. They sent him to the Brooklyn Nets after his ACL injury, using his expiring contract to acquire Dennis Schroder. Although Schroder later became a key salary piece in acquiring Jimmy at the Bay.

Meanwhile, the Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. also clarified, “My vision for him is to give us a boost next year, the same way he did last year when he arrived.” In simple terms, the general manager does not see himself trading Jimmy Butler. However, if an enticing deal like maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo comes up… then?

The Warriors might consider trading Jimmy Butler for Giannis Antetokounmpo

At age 36, Butler remained highly efficient before going down. In January, he delivered 21.3 points per night while converting 53% of his shots, then added 17 points in only 21 minutes against Miami prior to the ACL injury. Still, Golden State treats its value as established. Therefore, moving him now would scrap a blueprint the front office believes had momentum toward contention.

Recent rumors suggested the front office explored Anthony Davis, with trade talks built around Jimmy as the centerpiece. However, insider John Dickinson confirmed the Dubs, “I think basically what they’re saying is, ‘We’re not going to trade you for Anthony Davis in the next ten days, and then watch Anthony Davis not play until the middle of March, and then figure it out.”

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Following his hand ligament injury, the Dallas Mavericks have sidelined AD for 6 weeks. Meanwhile, the Warriors, who have seemingly shown interest in Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is out of the league for at least a month with a right calf strain. So, Dickinson added, “To me, what they’re saying is, ‘If we can get Giannis, we’ll consider it, but if we can’t get Giannis, then we’re not going to consider it at this point.'”

However, Butler’s contract complicates the calculus. The 36-year-old will earn nearly $57 million next season, placing his deal among the league’s heaviest financial commitments and forcing the front office into a far tougher endgame decision. But then, for an ‘endgame’ to happen, the Golden State Warriors have to express their intention. And that, for now, is simple: They want Jimmy Butler. They need Jimmy Butler with Stephen Curry to push for another title if that’s even possible.