The NBA is just about two weeks away from its 2025-26 season trade deadline. With the Eastern Conference fast becoming a hot mess, things could be incredibly active.
But the biggest question mark lies in the league’s other conference.
The Golden State Warriors now have a Jimmy Butler problem.
Could Mike Dunleavy Jr. Trade Jimmy Butler?
Golden State’s 2025-26 season with its current roster took a huge hit Monday when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL against the Miami Heat.
Given that Stephen Curry turns 38 in March and Draymond Green turns 36 this summer, it doesn’t feel like the 24-20 Warriors can really afford to waste a season. So would team president Mike Dunleavy Jr. be open to trading away his former Chicago Bulls teammate Butler for a win-now asset?
Per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dunleavy has at least publicly claimed he wouldn’t make the move.
“I don’t envision that, but now that you’ve brought it up, I guess I’d say what I envision for him is kind of give us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived,” Dunleavy said. “And so, at some point during the (2026/27) season he’ll be returning.
“And being the player he’s been — I mean, at his age, what he’s doing this year, to have the year he’s had is impressive. I think he’s got the style of game that can play for a long time with his skill, his physicality, his mind for the game. So I guess my vision for him is him returning at some point between now and this time next year.”
David Gonzales-Imagn ImagesJonathan Kuminga Returns
The absence of Butler has finally convinced Warriors head coach Steve Kerr to dust off embattled forward Jonathan Kuminga, just days after his reported trade demand. The 6-foot-8 vet had been a DNP-CD for 16 straight games prior to a 145-127 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Much as he did when he was reincorporated into Golden State during last year’s playoffs on the fly, Kuminga submitted a solid, aggressive performance. With the game already well out of hand in the second half, he was given the keys to the offense. Kuminga chipped in 20 points on 7-of-10 field goal shooting and 5-of-8 shooting from the foul line, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Granted, Kuminga isn’t long for this Warriors team. But at least he’s trying to up his trade value when he sees the floor.
Jonathan Kuminga tonight:20 PTS5 REB2 AST7-10 FGFirst game after 16 consecutive DNP-CDs.pic.twitter.com/Ow4JAAo9gI
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 21, 2026More Lakers Drama
After a promising 15-4 season start, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone just 11-12 since. The return of LeBron James, and the injury absence of Austin Reaves, have greatly hampered LA’s productivity. The club has been brutal in transition and defense, Luka Doncic’s offensive fit with James has been troublingly bad.
ESPN insider Baxter Holmes released a massive hit piece on now-former majority owner Jeanie Buss on Wednesday, unpacking how all of her siblings were quickly fired after the club’s sale — at a record $10 billion team valuation — was finalized in November. “She fired everyone,” a team official complained to Holmes on background.
Holmes notes that the youngest Buss kids, Joey and Jesse, had considered talking some of their siblings into selling small portions of the franchise — so that the family could still have a controlling stake, and their older siblings could retire. Ultimately, Jeanie Buss decided to sell the family’s majority ownership, while holding onto a minority stake.
Most interestingly, beyond the Buss sibling drama that has been the subject of headlines since family patriarch Dr. Jerry Buss passed away in 2013, Holmes suggested that Jeanie Buss and James’ formerly happy relationship had soured. Jeanie Buss apparently had started to complain about James’ ego and the impact that he and his representation, Klutch Sports, have had on roster-building decisions.
After the club’s 2021 summer trade for Russell Westbrook (in an effort to pander to James) bellyflopped spectacularly, tensions grew as James tried to distance himself from the move.
© Reggie Hildred-Imagn ImagesInjury Updates
Chicago Bulls point guard Josh Giddey missed his 11th straight game Tuesday, a blowout victory against the LA Clippers. Per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, the 6-foot-7 vet has been making good progress from a hamstring strain, and could return as soon as Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star small forward Jalen Williams, who has been in and out of the team’s lineups all season with health issues, is out again for a stretch. Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman reports that Williams has suffered a right hamstring strain, and is set to have the injury reassessed “in a couple of weeks.” The Lakers may get some major help during their current eight-game road trip. Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that guard Austin Reaves — who had emerged as LA’s second-best player, behind only Luka Doncic, and was on track to make his first All-Star team — could make his return to the club from a Grade 2 calf strain. Reaves has been out since Christmas Day. Head coach JJ Redick indicated that Reaves is “progressing well.” The road trip will wrap up with a February 3 clash against the lowly Brooklyn Nets. Veteran Houston Rockets center Steven Adams suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain on Sunday, during the fourth quarter of a victory over the lowly New Orleans Pelicans. He got hurt while battling Zion Williamson in the post. Per The Athletic‘s Will Guillory, the 6-foot-11 big man will be sidelined indefinitely. Third-year Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson has missed the entire 2025-26 season with a left hamstring tear. Portland has been serviceable without him, Damian Lillard or Jrue Holiday for much of the year, as likely first-time All-Star forward Deni Avdija has essentially taken over point guard duties en route to a 22-22 record so far. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian notes that Henderson has been ramping up, and was engaging in sprints post-practice earlier this week.“He is progressing,” said interim coach Tiago Splitter. “Everybody’s a little bit frustrated about this, but it’s a tough injury. It’s (one) where people tend to have a second injury, so we’ve got to be careful with him.”
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesOdds & Ends
Old pal Zach LaVine has been having a rough go of it lately. His doomed Sacramento Kings (who are 12-32 on the season) number among the most hopeless situations in the NBA, and his own play has been so one-sided that head coach Doug Christie opted to play him just 6:45 in the second half of an eventual 130-117 home loss to the Miami Heat. After the game, Christie called out the sharpshooter’s defense, per James Ham of ESPN 1320. “Obviously he shot the ball well, but… we didn’t have a problem scoring tonight… we need to stop somebody.” Free agent forward Cam Reddish, the former No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, is returning to the league — sort of. Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the 6-foot-7 swingman has agreed to a G League contract. Should he clear waivers, he would hit the NBAGL’s available player pool. He has suited up for the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers across six seasons in the league. He suited up for Lithuania’s BC Šiauliai to kick off his 2025-26 season, but only lasted there for nine games.Hence then, the article about around the nba jimmy butler trade kuminga s return buss family drama injuries galore more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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