The Warriors defeated the Heat 135-112 tonight at the Chase Center. Jimmy Butler went down with a right knee injury in the third quarter. Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield helped him back to the locker room.
He did not return for the rest of the game and finished with 17 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals with a 54.5% field-goal efficiency (6-11).
Jimmy Butler left the Warriors game with an apparent knee injury
Hope he’s ok 🙏 pic.twitter.com/z5zQzogIYs
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 20, 2026
Subsequently, during the postgame press conference, Steve Kerr addressed the injury to Butler while actively trying to remain optimistic about it. Kerr said that Butler had left for the hospital before the game ended for an MRI.
Therefore, Kerr was not able to speak to Butler after his injury and will get a chance to talk to him after his MRI is done. The Warriors are expected to give a better update on Butler once they get the results of that MRI.
“I mean, we’re all really concerned, but we’ll know more after the MRI. Obviously, we don’t know anything at this point… Everybody is subdued because of the injury. Waiting to hear the news,” he further added.
Kerr also addressed how this could be a silver lining for Jonathan Kuminga, who could get some playing time as a result of this. He said the Warriors would be “absolutely” open to giving him minutes in the game due to this injury.
The Warriors lost Gui Santos to a left ankle injury a few days ago when they faced the Knicks. Earlier today, it was also confirmed that Draymond Green will not be available tonight due to a right ankle sprain.
While Kerr remains optimistic that he will have them both back for tomorrow’s game against the Raptors, the player injuries and lack of rotation depth could now compel him to use Jonathan Kuminga in the game.
Kuminga fell out of the Warriors’ rotation and recently demanded a trade. If Kerr allows him some opportunities to display his talent, then maybe the Warriors’ front office could yield significant value in a trade of Kuminga.
Kerr has repeatedly emphasized that this is a difficult situation where none of the sides are winners. However, if Kuminga can use the next seven games, before the February 5 trade deadline, to impress another front office into making a solid offer for him, then both sides could be winners.
Therefore, the question now remains whether Kerr will set aside the differences between him and Kuminga to use him effectively on the floor so that the Warriors’ front office can show another team some value in trading for him.
Additionally, it would also help Kuminga regain his confidence on the floor after missing so many games despite being healthy. He was averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 43.1% from the field before falling out of the Warriors’ rotation completely.
At the end of the day, it was Butler’s arrival that arguably led Kuminga to being sidelined on the Warriors. Hence, it will be interesting to see if Butler’s injury ends up helping Kuminga in any way.
