What a scene in Chase Center Monday night on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There was Jimmy Butler, the Warriors’ prized acquisition who was supposed to solve their wing problem once and for all, crumpling to the Chase Center floor with 7:41 left in the third quarter against Miami. His right knee buckled and he couldn’t put weight on it. Teammates helped him limp off the court while the building held its breath.
And there was Andrew Wiggins, wearing Heat colors now, who had received a standing ovation during pregame introductions. As the video tribute played on the big screen Wiggins humbly basked in the adulation, more than worthy of the honor he received from Dub Nation. After all, the crowd that had watched him transform from “worst contract in basketball” to championship contributor had every reason to roar their golden approval.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Kuminga sat on the bench in warmups for the 13th straight game, having formally demanded a trade just days earlier. Past, present, and potentially absent future, all visible at the same time.
This is what happens when you spend years trying to replace Kevin Durant. You get a carousel of talented wings, each carrying their own baggage, each representing a different gamble, each reminding you that sometimes the house doesn’t win.
The irony was almost too perfect
Remember how the Warriors got Wiggins? It all started with them wanting D’Angelo Russell in that sign-and-trade with Brooklyn after KD left, knowing Russell might not fit but believing his trade value would eventually help them reload. Six months later, Minnesota was desperate to pair Russell with Karl-Anthony Towns. The price? Wiggins and the seventh round pick that became Kuminga.
At the time, people called Wiggins one of the worst players in the league with no trade value. Those fools. The Warriors made him into a two-way force on their 2022 championship team, completing his redemption arc, an arc that coincided with Steph, Klay, Dray, and Iguodala’s fourth rings. Front office was looking like geniuses as Wiggins’ All-Star berth proved he was the man of the hour.
Until they decided last winter Wiggins wasn’t the answer anymore and sent him to Miami.
Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists with the Heat now. Not spectacular, but Erik Spoelstra thinks it might be the most complete basketball of his career considering the responsibilities he’s handling on both ends. He’s thriving in a system that doesn’t ask him to be someone he’s not.
Kuminga? He started the first 12 games this season leading Coach Steve Kerr to call him a secure starter. Then struggles led to a benching that landed poorly with the 23-year-old. He’s been completely out of the lineup since December 18th and now team sources say everyone agrees the best resolution is trading him before February 5.
Butler was supposed to be the answer, which is why the Warriors gave up Wiggins to get him. They believed his intensity, his playoff pedigree, his two-way dominance would bring All-NBA caliber play to the position. Golden State has gone 12-4 since December 18 with a top-five offense during that stretch.
Losing Butler for any extended time would almost certainly derail that momentum.
And so what a scene it was in San Francisco as we got to see those three talented players. They’re on three different trajectories, providing three reminders that sometimes you can make all the smart moves and still end up exactly where you started: searching for the piece that fits.
Butler will get an MRI. The Warriors will hope it’s short-term. They’ll canvas the market for Kuminga trades, prioritizing expiring contracts that don’t lock them into long-term money. They’ll keep spinning the wheel, hoping this time it lands on the right number. Because when you’ve tasted championships, when you’ve had Kevin Durant and know what elite wing play looks like, you can’t stop chasing it.
Just ask Harrison Barnes.
