Warriors Star Jimmy Butler Receives Harsh Prediction for 2025-26 NBA Season
The Golden State Warriors made a splash at the 2025 NBA trade deadline in an attempt to make the most of Steph Curry while they still can. In February, the Warriors acquired six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. The Warriors' return package was centered around Andrew Wiggins, giving them a clear-cut upgrade at that position.
Immediately after the trade, the Warriors signed Butler to a two-year contract extension worth $110.9 million, keeping him in Golden State through the 2026-27 season. Butler and Curry's contracts will be expiring in the same offseason, giving the franchise an obvious two-year window that is closing very fast.
Jimmy Butler impresses in debut season
In 30 regular-season appearances with the Warriors after getting traded, Butler averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, but certainly had his ups and downs. All in all, one thing was clear: Butler and Curry seemed unstoppable.
Through 27 games together after the trade, Butler and Curry were dominant. When the pair shared the court, the Warriors were 22-5, and their momentum bled into the playoffs. The Warriors took down the Houston Rockets in the first round and were setting themselves up for a potential Western Conference Finals appearance before Curry suffered a costly hamstring injury.
Jimmy Butler Warriors playmaking
pic.twitter.com/RsbXWxRTp3— Gardas (@Gardas111) August 19, 2025
Butler ultimately could not carry the Warriors past his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, in the second round of the playoffs with Curry sidelined, but Golden State certainly is not regretting their move for the six-time All-Star. However, a poor 2025-26 campaign could make them second-guess their decision.
Will Butler slip next season?
Butler will be 36 years old by the time the 2025-26 NBA season starts, and he could certainly be reaching the point in his career when he hits a sharp decline.
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes recently predicted that Butler will be the Warriors' "biggest faller" next season.
"If you watched him closely last year, you also noticed undeniable signs of physical decline," Hughes wrote. "He'd routinely get near the bucket and pump fake several times in search of a foul because he didn't trust his vertical lift. Defensively, he surrendered blow-by drives a little more often than was comfortable.
"Butler may still perform at a fringe All-Star level, and he's going to make the Warriors a better team than they'd be without him. But he's also entering his age-36 season looking like a guy who's racked up a lot of brutal miles."
Hughes' harsh prediction that Butler is due for a decline next season is largely due to his age and his physical concerns during the 2024-25 season, but the star forward will undoubtedly still help the Warriors compete for a championship.
