The Golden State Warriors made a splash at last season’s trade deadline by acquiring six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, and the team immediately became better. The new star duo of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler was taking over the league, putting together a 22-5 record when they shared the floor to close out the regular season.
Of course, the Warriors ultimately fell short in the second round of the playoffs after Curry went down with an injury, but the new-look team looked destined for great things.
Now, heading into the 2025-26 season, the Warriors have managed to give Curry and Butler a better supporting cast, but is there still doubt about the structure of the team?
Apr 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) with guard Stephen Curry (30) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Of course, Curry will lead Golden State’s offense until he retires, but does he have a number two? The Warriors undoubtedly filled that hole by giving him a reliable second option in Butler, but former three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas does not think Curry’s co-star is built to be a second option.
“How Steph plays is going to keep them relevant. But he needs another guy to help him move. Jimmy Butler plays team basketball; he’s a team basketball guy. There’s no defined second option for that team. Kuminga and Buddy Hield haven’t stepped up and said, ‘I’m going to be taking those 18 shots and I’m going to be that second guy,’ right now they don’t have that yet,” Gilbert Arenas said on The Arena.
This is a very unorthodox take from Arenas, to say the least. Not only is Butler the ideal second option alongside Curry, but saying that Buddy Hield or Jonathan Kuminga would be better number twos if they were able to step up is also an interesting take.
Butler and Curry have already proven that they are an ideal duo for the Warriors, and even if Butler is not the prototypical “second option,” he will always make winning basketball players and can still get a bucket in a pinch.
Ideally, this team would have still had someone like Klay Thompson to also relieve some pressure off Curry, but the team they have is undoubtedly enough to compete for a championship.