Gilbert Arenas believes the Warriors don’t have a true second option behind Stephen Curry. Speaking on his Gil’s Arena podcast, the former All-Star said Jimmy Butler’s team-first approach isn’t suited for that role. He argued that Golden State needs another player, such as Jonathan Kuminga or Buddy Hield, to step up and take command offensively.
“How Steph plays is going to keep them relevant,” Arenas said. “But he needs another guy to help him move. Jimmy Butler plays team basketball; he’s a team-oriented player. There’s no defined second option for that team. Kuminga and Buddy Hield haven’t stepped up and said, ‘I’m going to be taking those 18 shots, and I’m going to be that second guy.’ Right now, they don’t have that yet.”
Curry is obviously the alpha star of the Warriors, but ever since Klay Thompson left, they haven’t had that reliable number two guy. Clearly, Arenas isn’t sold that Butler can successfully play that role for the Warriors.
“They don’t have the Klay. They don’t have a guy who says he’s a number two. Unless Kuminga can turn into that,” Arenas added. “Your second option [Butler] is averaging 18. That’s not a second option. He’s going to play good basketball; you need him as your third.”
As the Warriors enter the twilight years of their dynasty, it’s only going to get harder to keep up with rising competition in the West. To compete with teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, they’ll need more than Steph’s usual heroics.
On paper, Butler is perfectly equipped to take this team to the next level. As a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player, his resume is impressive. So, too, are his career stats at 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game on 47.2% shooting.
Still, Butler isn’t the dynamic scorer that Klay is, and his skills don’t quite compare to Kevin Durant. Curry’s only championships came with one of those players at his side, and now he doesn’t have either of them going into the 2025-26 campaign. Plus, at 36 years old, it remains to be seen if Butler can stay healthy for the full duration of the season.
The only other place the Warriors can turn is toward Jonathan Kuminga. Despite brutal contract negotiations this summer, he returned to the Warriors and is set to come off the bench behind Butler. At just 23 years old, we likely haven’t seen his peak yet, and the Warriors are optimistic that a breakout season is on the way.
As for Butler, it seems he still has some things to prove. He may be respected across the league, but his exact classification is still up for debate. After several failed playoff runs, he has a chance to rewrite the narrative if he can become who the Warriors need him to be.
Whether it’s Butler or Kuminga who steps up, the Warriors’ championship hopes rest on finding a true second option behind Steph Curry. Until that happens, Golden State will remain a step behind the West’s elite: a dynasty still searching for its next co-star.
