I’ll give you the hard facts first, then the insider report. Jimmy Butler is about to enter the final year of his Bay Area contract. He is owed a hefty $56 million. And yes, the Golden State Warriors’ fate depends heavily on his availability. But sadly, reality may come down to a decision that Butler has very little control over.

Saying the Warriors had an underwhelming offseason would be a polite understatement. But a league insider suggests the Dubs are now transitioning into “wait-and-see mode” because of very predictable financial limitations.

“They’re going to try to be as good as they can,” according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. “If they’re failing expectations and they’re a bottom team in the West by the trade deadline, you’re going to see them sell. You may see Jimmy Butler in the final year of his contract be traded. You may see some other guys around Steph being moved so they can accumulate assets to really tackle the 2027 offseason hard.”

Let’s understand the Warriors’ issue step by step. Butler tore his right ACL against Miami on January 19, colliding awkwardly with Heat guard Davion Mitchell, and had surgery in February. It was the third significant injury on that same knee, after a torn meniscus in 2018 and a sprained MCL in 2024.

Before the injury, Butler was having one of his best seasons in years, with 20 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists a game across 38 appearances, trailing only Curry in scoring. His agent, Bernie Lee, called the injury “a gut punch on every level,” adding he still expects Butler to win a ring before he’s done.

“I do wanna come back, we all know that,” Butler told reporters in January. “I can’t say when. Obviously, as early as I can to help my guys win some games.”

Butler has always appeared optimistic about returning, but he is nearly 37. Even though the veteran is ahead in his recovery process with no setbacks, he still won’t be fit to start the season. Currently, there are questions about whether Butler will even be fit to appear before the February trade deadline.

As it stands, insider Siegel says it’s “very likely” that happens, and that’s a positive for Golden State because it “will be able to figure out its plan heading into the trade madness and what its playoff outlook is.” But if Butler doesn’t make it back in time, and the Dubs have a disastrous first half of the regular season, the NBA veteran may be shipped out without even playing a single game.

Siegel’s report also highlights other injury timelines that run concurrently with Butler’s. Moses Moody tore his left patellar tendon on March 23, 2026, and has said that he hopes to begin running and on-court work in September, though his return timeline remains uncertain. But if both Butler and Moody return on time, things become so much easier for the Warriors.

“You bring Butler back, you bring Moody back sometime in February or March once he’s healed from his patella injury,” Siegel continued. “Those are two kinds of trade deadline acquisitions in themselves, and you have the ability to further improve this roster depending on what’s happening with Kristaps Porzingis.”

The Warriors enraged their fanbase when they offered Porzingis a two-year, $40 million extension earlier this offseason. Despite the second season being optional, it was hard to see the logic in handing the 31-year-old, who has been struggling to stay fit, such a lucrative contract in a tight-budget situation.

So, these were three major concerns the Warriors are supposedly being patient about until February. Although it may be a challenge for teams to match Butler’s lofty salary midseason, Golden State could pursue a package deal with Porzingis or even Brandin Podziemski (unlikely) as a compelling factor. But there’s a larger problem looming over the franchise…

Why Golden State’s front office cannot sleep easy until Steph Curry re-signs

Stephen Curry is on an expiring $62 million contract for the 2026-27 season. He is eligible to opt for an extension up to two years at a value of $136.7 million, which will keep him with Golden State until the end of the 2028-2029 season.

If Curry signs the extension, it’d significantly reduce the Warriors’ cap flexibility heading into 2027. But if he waits until the 2027 offseason, Curry will be eligible to sign a three-year, $212.9 million max contract. The Warriors can negotiate a lesser salary with their veteran, but this is turning into a catch-22 situation.

“[Curry] has never been the type of player to publicly rock the boat, even when he’s unhappy with a situation,” noted Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “More often, he lets his actions on the floor do more of the talking than his words into a microphone. This latest chapter of his legendary career, and the choice that comes with this particular decision, will follow the same script.”

On the other hand, Friedell says the “lingering distraction” will continue to hover over the Warriors group until Curry settles down… The veteran struggled to stay fit last season, and his lingering knee issue cost him two months of game time. If he gets injured again, the whole Curry situation could turn really negative.

Multiple insiders, including Brett Siegel, have confirmed the Warriors have dropped the ball in Curry’s court and are waiting on a decision. That is quite an honorable way to treat your veteran, but how is paying $60-plus million to a near 40-year-old justified, especially when the rest of your roster isn’t good enough?

Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green’s ($27.6 million) expiring contracts will free up cap space, but the real difference-maker here is Curry and his decision. It’ll decide whether the Warriors have enough room to pursue another actual star.