The Golden State Warriors have officially ruled out Jimmy Butler for Wednesday’s Pacific Division showdown against the Sacramento Kings, deepening the team’s growing injury woes.
Butler exited early during Golden State’s 118-107 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night with a right lower back strain. The 36-year-old veteran played just 14 minutes, going 1-for-5 from the field before heading to the locker room in visible discomfort.
“It’s his lower back again,” head coach Steve Kerr told reporters postgame. “He felt like he could go, and then he tweaked it a little bit.”
The Warriors have yet to announce whether Butler’s absence will extend beyond Wednesday’s contest. The team remains cautious, especially given Butler’s history of missed games — he has not played more than 64 games in a season since 2018-19.
Stephen Curry Sidelined with Flu-Like Symptoms
Adding to the team’s short-handed roster, Stephen Curry will also miss the game due to flu-like symptoms, Kerr confirmed.
“I don’t care what the doctors say,” Kerr quipped. “We’ve got to get him some rest. He’s not playing Wednesday.”
Curry, 37, continues to be the Warriors’ most reliable offensive engine, averaging 26.8 points, 4.3 assists, and a team-high 1.5 steals per game this season. His absence leaves a massive scoring void against a struggling Kings team that is off to a 2-5 start.
Draymond Green, Podziemski Questionable; Horford Returns
The Warriors’ injury list doesn’t stop there. Draymond Green (right rib contusion) and Brandin Podziemski (left wrist soreness) are both questionable to play, leaving Kerr with a potentially depleted rotation.
On a brighter note, Al Horford is expected to return after resting on the second night of the back-to-back. The 39-year-old big man, who joined Golden State in the offseason to provide frontcourt depth and veteran leadership, has averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in limited minutes.
“The biggest thing is, come playoff time, is he fresh?” Kerr said of Horford’s load management. “There’s no back-to-backs then, so maybe we can bump his minutes up.”
Horford has been on a strict minutes restriction, averaging 21 per game — just below Kerr’s target of 22 — and shooting only 29.4% from three, well below expectations for a player brought in to space the floor.
Aging Core Faces Durability Questions
The Warriors’ roster remains one of the NBA’s oldest, with Curry (37), Butler (36), Green (35), and Horford (39) anchoring the lineup. Their experience remains invaluable, but staying healthy for an 82-game season has become an increasing challenge.
“That’s always a factor with an older group,” Kerr acknowledged before the season. “The pace, the mileage — it adds up. That’s why we monitor minutes and track performance so closely. Guys are going to need to take games off.”
The Warriors (5-3) have navigated the early season relatively well, but their ability to stay competitive hinges on balancing rest and rhythm. Kerr emphasized confidence in his younger players — including Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Podziemski — to step up in the absence of veterans.
“We’ve talked as a team about winning without some of our key guys,” Kerr said. “I feel confident with the young guys we have — they can fill those shoes when they’re empty.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Warriors Hit with Double Blow as Injuries on Stars Pile Up appeared first on Heavy Sports.