The Golden State Warriors are having a rough year, to say the least. They are currently the 8th seed in the Western Conference, having a record of 25-19. Players have been in and out of the lineup and rotation mainly due to injuries and the coach’s decision. Although they have won 12 of their last 16 games and are currently on a 4-game win streak, things have gone from bad to worse.
Butler out, Kuminga in?
It’s been announced that Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn right ACL during his game against the Miami Heat on January 19th. There’s an expectation that he will most likely miss the beginning of next season before he gets back to full health. With that in mind, Butler will be entering the final year of his contract by then, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Warriors manage his situation.
Putting future anticipation aside, this begs the question of how the Golden State Warriors can score when their best player, Stephen Curry, is on the bench. Usually, when Curry sits out, Butler comes in as the primary scoring option. With that option nonexistent, head coach Steve Kerr might have no choice but to put Jonathan Kuminga back in the rotation.
MORE: Jimmy Butler gets injured on MLK Day against the Miami Heat
Kuminga demanded a trade from the Warriors on January 15th. He hasn’t played since December 18th, when the team played against the Phoenix Suns, due to the coach's decision. With Butler’s injury, this might be the perfect opportunity for both parties.
The Warriors could give Kuminga more usage as one of the team’s scoring options behind Curry. Depending on his performances, Kuminga’s trade value could skyrocket and give the Warriors more leverage concerning assets. And with Kuminga wanting a new start, this could be the stepping stone to rejuvenating his young career.
However, this all depends on Steve Kerr’s decision when it comes to the availability of a young, rising star in Jonathan Kuminga. With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green aging by the day, they’re in a win-now scenario and must pull out all the stops if they want to win another championship.
More NBA news:
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- Teams lining up to poach Karl-Anthony Towns amid Knicks struggles
- 76ers' Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe address rumors after sideline argument
- Donovan Mitchell is unsurprised by him not being an All-Star starter 'Winning comes first'
- Lakers' Austin Reaves linked to Jazz on offseason free agent market