As the trajectory of the Golden State Warriors goes, a star player’s injury struck at a crucial time. But the focus has shifted away from Jimmy Butler to his teammates. Specifically, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. There is pressure on the front office to make a dramatic move before a year of Butler’s arrival in the Bay is up. And once again, they’re looking at old rivals, the Sacramento Kings, to make it possible. Yet Mike Dunleavy Jr. simply doesn’t cave to that kind of pressure.

The Dubs are holding on to their rep as one of the most steady front offices in the league under Mike Dunleavy Jr. After the team was dealt a devastating blow with Butler’s ACL tear, he was at the podium on Tuesday to make one thing very clear. Jimmy Butler isn’t going anywhere.

This is despite a report by Shams Charania that the team is looking to acquire DeMar DeRozan from the Kings by sending, not Jonathan Kuminga, but Butler.

“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy bluntly said about the possibility of trading Butler to any team. “What I envision for him is giving us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived.”

It fits right in with the GM’s unwavering stance since they acquired Butler from Miami in February 2025.

On a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, Chris Canty delivered a sobering, unflinching assessment of the Golden State Warriors’ suddenly precarious future. The catalyst was the devastating news of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending torn ACL.

Butler, acquired in a bold midseason trade to inject championship pedigree and defensive grit alongside Stephen Curry, had quickly become the missing piece that propelled Golden State back into legitimate contention.

He urged the Warriors’ front office to resist the siren call of another splashy, big-name acquisition—someone in the mold of Damian Lillard—to salvage a late-career title run for Curry. “Golden State Warriors,” he warned, “don’t make the mistake that the Milwaukee Bucks did in the waive stretch of Damian Lillard chasing after waterfalls and rainbows trying to capture some late career magic from Steph Curry and get him back to the championship rounds.”

The reference to the Bucks is pointed and painful. Milwaukee’s 2023 trade for Lillard was born of desperation: a bid to pair a superstar scorer with Giannis Antetokounmpo and recapture the “magic” of a championship window that had already begun to close.

The result? A roster imbalance, chemistry issues, and a team that has yet to truly contend at the highest level again, all while sacrificing long-term flexibility.

The team is in a good place and doesn’t need trades to fix issues, according to Dunleavy. He believes they need to fix their turnover problem internally. And Jimmy Butler’s low-turnover, high-risk-taking style fits Dunleavy’s vision.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. doesn’t share Warriors’ fans’ concerns

Concerns about Stephen Curry’s and Draymond Green’s fifth ring chase struck in the third quarter of yesterday’s (January 19) game against the Miami Heat. While playing against his former team, Butler caught an awkward pass, and his knee caved.

He left the floor before the final buzzer and MRIs confirmed the worst, a torn ACL in the same leg that he’s injured in 2018 and 2024.

Right after the 2018 injury, he demanded a trade from Minnesota to Philadelphia. The 2024 injury marked the start of a long saga of friction with the Miami Heat that led him to Golden State. So there is a fateful connection between his right knee and his trade history.

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The immediate reaction to his injury was for fans to demand a trade. It was enabled by Shams Charania’s report that the Warriors will pivot for DeMar DeRozan. Deebo is earning $24.7 million and is an effective mid-range scorer, similar to Butler.

The Kings wouldn’t part with Deebo for Jonathan Kuminga. But Kuminga and Butler combined could sweeten the deal and make an equitable swap without the Warriors losing their draft capital.

But Dunleavy has absolutely no intention to take any offers. Neither before the trade deadline nor in the offseason. He’s indirectly told this team to brace for Butler’s return next season.

“At some point during the season, him returning and being the player he’s been. At his age, what he’s doing this year and the year he’s had is impressive. He’s got a style of game that can play for a long time with his skill, physicality, and mind for the game. My vision for him is returning at some point between now and this time next year.”

Dunleavy has pretty much said the Warriors are putting their resources into helping Butler recover and return next season. The focus isn’t on who they can get for Butler today, but on maintaining the Warriors’ momentum beyond this season.