Can Jimmy Butler lead the Warriors to the promised land?

Jimmy Butler may have been burning all of his bridges with the Miami Heat, but the Golden State Warriors still deemed him to be worth the risk. Butler, after all, is a proven postseason performer with a long track record of lifting some undertalented Heat teams deep into the playoffs, and the Warriors are hoping that he’d do the same for them — and as a sign of confidence, the Dubs even gave him a two-year, $112 million extension immediately after acquiring him.

Alas, Butler is already 35 years of age with a ton of mileage on him, so there is plenty of risk in the Warriors’ trade for him. But the Dubs had to do something — especially with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green nearing the end of the line.

Here are a few bold predictions for Butler and how he’ll be getting on with the Warriors in their one last push for a championship in the Curry era.

Jimmy Butler sustains injury prior to start of the 2025 NBA playoffs

Jimmy Butler is a warrior, both in a literal and figurative sense. He battles through heavy workloads and logs heavy minutes for when it matters the most. One of the most iconic playoff photos of all time is of Butler hunching down in full exhaustion after lifting the Heat to an upset victory in Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals to keep Miami alive in the series.

But such doggedness is a double-edged sword. Butler’s ability to take on heavy workloads also makes him susceptible to injuries. And now that he’s 35 years of age, one would think that he’s more prone to injuries than ever. With the Warriors having to do a bit of chasing to secure a playoff spot, Butler will be asked to play a huge role, which could make him vulnerable to some major wear and tear.

Now, it’s not as if Butler has chronic injuries that he has to manage, like Kawhi Leonard. His injuries are an assortment, and the injury that kept him out of commission of last year’s playoffs was due to a freak collision with Kelly Oubre Jr. So it’s not as if he’s a risk to re-aggravate anything.

It’s not exactly in good taste to predict an injury. It’s like wishing upon the downfall of someone. Thus, it’s important to note that the hope is that Butler manages to avoid the injury bug and lead the Warriors deep into the playoffs as a result. That is the best-case scenario. But considering the task that lies ahead for him and the Dubs, he may have to spread himself way too thin just to try and get the job done — while falling short in the end.

Butler and Draymond Green develop a healthy relationship on and off the court

Both Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have the mindset that things must go their way. They are both expressive, and when something doesn’t sit right with them, they waste no time showing it — be it in their words or their actions. This has led some fans to believe that the relationship between the two on the Warriors is a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any minute.

However, competitors recognize one another, and Green knows that he’s in no position to alienate another star especially after he essentially walked Kevin Durant out of town back in 2019. Green’s mouth may know no bounds, but at 34 years of age, the Warriors veteran knows that playing nice is in the best interest of the franchise, especially when he was also responsible for driving a wedge between Jordan Poole and the team.

Meanwhile, Butler respects teammates who would do whatever it takes to win. Expect Butler and Green to bond on their mutual goal to do whatever is necessary to win a championship, teaming up to ruffle even more feathers along the way.

Jimmy Buckets plays 70+ games for the Warriors in the 2025-26 season

Speaking of bold predictions, expecting Jimmy Butler to be a durable player might be a fool’s gambit. He hasn’t played in over 70 games in a single season since 2017, dealing with an assortment of injuries throughout his body. The Warriors are also a very cautious franchise, content to play the long game if it meant preserving the health of their best players.

Regardless, Butler has something to prove, and he plays his best when he recognizes that he is being valued. With the Warriors having to compete in the stacked West, there is not much room for them to slack off. And even with Butler aging, this should be enough incentive for him to pour his heart out next season — especially if the doomsday scenario of him being injured prior to the start of the 2025 NBA playoffs comes to fruition.

Butler proves everyone wrong by leading Dubs to 2026 NBA championship

It’s always going to be difficult for the Warriors to make things work when Jimmy Butler did not have a full offseason to integrate himself within the team. It’s not too often that a team on the fringes of a playoff spot manages to turn things around midseason with a huge acquisition, as highly-regarded of a playoff performer as Butler may be.

The last time a blockbuster trade that added a star small forward led to a championship was in 2019, when the Toronto Raptors brought Kawhi Leonard in. Leonard, of course, is a much more esteemed playoff performer than Butler by virtue of having been the Finals MVP twice. He also had a full offseason with the Raptors.

When one looks at the recent champions, those teams did not make any seismic moves in the middle of the season in the same vein of the Butler trade. (The 2019 Raptors also made a huge midseason trade, swapping Jonas Valanciunas for Marc Gasol, but that team was already rolling prior to that trade. On the contrary, this Warriors team hasn’t been able to get any semblance of momentum.)

If the Warriors were to make a serious push for the championship, it’s more realistic to expect them to do so in 2026. And by then, Butler will prove everyone wrong by being the Dubs’ missing piece for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green’s fifth ring.