Getty
Jimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors suffered serious back-to-back blow when Jimmy Butler III tore his ACL and the team was subsequently unable to land Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a deal ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline.
But, there is a silver lining to both bits of bad news. The first is that Antetokounmpo is likely to hit the trade market in earnest again this summer, and Golden State will still have among the strongest combinations of draft asset packages/young players/salary filler to offer the Bucks.
Second, the Warriors released information on Monday, February 9 that all went well with the surgical repairs to Butler’s knee.
“Warriors say Jimmy Butler underwent successful surgery to repair his ACL in LA today,” Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported via X. “They say his rehab will begin immediately.”
Jimmy Butler Remains Major Potential Asset in Warriors’ Pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo This Summer
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler can still serve as the primary centerpiece in a trade for Antetokounmpo this summer, as Butler will make $56.8 million next season and Antetokounmpo will earn $58.5 million in 2026-27.
As of February 5, Golden State could have offered the Bucks four first-round picks and multiple first-round pick swaps, as well as Butler and shooting guard Brandin Podziemski in return for the two-time MVP big man. All of that, plus more, will remain on the table for the Warriors to make another run at Antetokounmpo in July.
Should he return healthy, Butler could be ready to go right around the start of the year in late October. Thus, if the Bucks want to try and play competitive basketball next season after what remains a hypothetical Antetokounmpo trade, Butler could help them do so.
It is more likely, however, that Butler will return some weeks into the regular season. Even if the Warriors trade him to Milwaukee in the summer, Butler could still be part of a mid-year deadline deal in early 2027.
That means that beyond what Golden State can offer the Bucks for Antetokounmpo in terms of draft assets and young players this summer, a healthy Butler’s value to a contender down the stretch next season can add to Milwaukee’s overall trade haul at next winter’s deadline.
Warriors Still Have Solid Outlook for Postseason After Acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis at Trade Deadline
GettyKristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors.
One thing the Warriors were able to accomplish last week was the shedding of Jonathan Kuminga via a deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Thus ended the saga of Golden State and the No. 7 overall pick who never quite worked out.
Golden State brought back stretch big man Kristaps Porzingis in the deal, who fills a long sought after need alongside Stephen Curry on offense and Draymond Green on defense.
Porzingis, if healthy, can protect the rim on one end of the court, thereby allowing Green more freedom to roam and less onus to guard opponents’ biggest players at a significant size disadvantage.
The former Hawks center can also keep the floor spread on offense given his ability to shoot long jump shots and 3-pointers. Overall, Porzingis equips Golden State with more size on both ends of the court, more shooting on offense and does not hamper Curry’s ability to penetrate defenses and create.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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