The Golden State Warriors' late-season resurgence hit a snag in Game 2 of their opening round series against the Houston Rockets. Late in the fourth quarter, after eight minutes of playing time, Jimmy Butler spilled to the floor after an accidental undercut from Houston's Amen Thompson.
It did not look pretty.
Jimmy Butler hit the ground hard after being undercut by Amen Thompson 😳 pic.twitter.com/Icd2wBF50U
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 24, 2025
Butler suffered a "deep glute muscle contusion," per ESPN's Shams Charania, which evidently does not feel good. The 35-year-old's availability for Saturday's Game 3 in San Francisco is in "serious jeopardy," which could push Steve Kerr in a direction he has been reluctant to go in recent weeks.
Jonathan Kuminga, after logging a DNP-CD in Game 1, saw 26 minutes in Game 2 following Butler's injury. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but put together a troubling lowlight reel in the Dubs' blowout loss.
Why doesn't Jonathan Kuminga play? See last night, as @DannyLeroux and I laid out: pic.twitter.com/3K0HvGSgyj
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) April 24, 2025
Kerr has been trending away from Kuminga for weeks now. The 22-year-old lacks the feel and consistency needed to thrive in the Warriors' scheme. For all his immense talent, Kuminga's shot selection, defensive intensity and overall court awareness is consistently lacking. With Butler soaking up minutes on the wing, Kerr finally had an excuse to shelve the former lottery pick.
Now Kuminga is potentially front and center again, and the Dubs can't help but look foolish for letting this situation fester for so long.
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Warriors not trading Jonathan Kuminga could prove fatal after Jimmy Butler injury
All Kuminga has done since his demotion is not-so-quietly stew in his own frustration. Rather than taking accountability for his shortcomings on the floor, it seems like Kuminga is totally mystified by Kerr's decision to look elsewhere. That is precisely why the Warriors cannot trust him in high-leverage games.
This was all avoidable, though. Kuminga has been a frequent centerpiece of trade rumors dating back to last season. He was mixed up in Paul George and Lauri Markkanen rumors over the summer, but the Dubs reportedly refused to include Kuminga. Golden State has treated Kuminga like a franchise cornerstone, essentially rendering him untouchable, even when star-level players become available.
Now, he's a restricted free agent who's bound to receive an offer sheet the Warriors deem unsavory in the offseason. Not only do the Warriors risk losing Kuminga for nothing, but they risk throwing away their first postseason of the Jimmy Butler era because of Kuminga's shortcomings — and because Kerr doesn't have a more trustworthy alternative.
Rather than clinging to Kuminga like a precious asset, Golden State should've leapt at the opportunity to add a star like Markkanen, who fits their identity perfectly. Even after those more ambitious trade targets fell through, however, the Dubs should have explored smaller-scale trades around the deadline, perhaps sending Kuminga to a more favorable setting in exchange for a solid, starting-calber wing. You know teams like Utah, Washington and Toronto would've been eager to part with real assets (and real players) for the chance to develop Kuminga in a low-pressure environment.
The Dubs are stuck with a disgruntled faux "star" who looks borderline unplayable, all because they fell victim to the sunk cost fallacy. Kuminga was the No. 7 pick and thusly treated like a premium asset, when in reality, he was always Golden State's most optimal trade bait.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda — Golden State missed the boat and now must live with the consequences.