Stephen Curry refused to let Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury spiral into existential thoughts. The Golden State Warriors are still processing the loss of a key pillar, but the grind offers no pause. The NBA’s demands and the Warriors’ desires still align with a championship. And out of everybody, it seems Curry is drawing no lines to ensure the Warriors remain competitive.

Whether accident or not, it’s still unclear. However, the Warriors’ talisman took a surprising action, liking an Instagram post suggesting that Jimmy Butler is on the trade block for the Golden State Warriors. That doesn’t go in cahoots with Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s thoughts about keeping Butler beyond the trade deadline.

Are Curry and the Warriors’ front office not on the same page? Without an explanation, it’s all up for speculation.

What’s certain is that the Warriors appear to be a team that needs reinforcements. Stephen Curry needs a reliable co-pilot to drive the Warriors’ winning ambitions during what is touted as their final run with the dynasty core of him and Draymond Green.

Despite the tensions, it seemed Jonathan Kuminga was invigorated to be that piece. In 30 minutes across two games, Kuminga scored 30 points, injecting much-needed life and dynamism into the Warriors. However, the fifth-year forward suffered an ankle/knee injury against the Dallas Mavericks, putting his future participation in doubt once again.

It’s also possible that the Warriors decide to deal Kuminga in order to bring some upgrades to their roster. However, there’s a significant salary difference between him and Jimmy Butler. Trading for the latter would let the Warriors welcome another star next to Curry and Green. With Kuminga, it’s limited to a high-value role player. That could still be beneficial, but maybe not as convincing.

The Warriors will be humane, but also realistic

The chatter around Jimmy Butler possibly being traded isn’t just talk in the air. Butler will enter the final year of his contract next season, where he’s expected to return around the trade deadline again. The veteran forward adds great value, but without access to it, he’s pretty much a dormant investment.

Still, there’s no rush in the front office. Draymond Green stated that the Warriors will be human first, understanding the difficulty of going through a season-ending injury. That being said, the four-time champion is also sure that the franchise will prioritize the championship window with Stephen Curry.

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In that sense, waiting for Butler and maximizing Curry’s timeline flow in opposite directions. Hence, Brett Siegel’s report doesn’t seem outrageous. It’s the tough reality that the Warriors are dealing with. They wouldn’t want to trade Jimmy Butler. But doing so creates opportunities to pair Curry with a counterpart and even gives the Warriors a cornerstone for the future.

The Warriors will still act with practicality. They won’t just trade Butler away for any player in the league. However, if there’s a chance they could get Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Warriors would almost be compelled to make the tough choice. The business can be cruel. This could be one of those instances.

Being patient means being sure that Jimmy Butler’s return pushes the Warriors as an undeniable championship threat. That wasn’t the story this season. The team went 20-13 in games with both Curry and Butler. It’s good enough to build on. But that luxury was taken away from the Warriors when Butler tore his ACL. That forces them to think out of the box, maybe even abandoning their empathy.

They can shift the puzzle around their core trio. But Butler’s injury has shortened their timeline. Do the Warriors choose loyalty, or do they give Curry a fair chance in these final two years?