The Warriors shook up their roster ahead of the trade deadline, swinging a deal to land Jimmy Butler from the Heat. To make it happen, they parted ways with Andrew Wiggins, their 2025 first-round pick, and a few other pieces. Butler’s time in Miami had been anything but smooth—suspensions, drama, the whole nine yards—but Golden State didn’t hesitate to take the risk. And so far? It’s paying off. He’s been electric in his first four games.

That trade left the Warriors with multiple open roster spots. One of them went to rookie Quinten Post, who earned a rest-of-season contract. But they weren’t done. Just hours after knocking off the Rockets 105-98 on Thursday night, the front office made another move to keep building out the team.

The Warriors are adding Kevin Knox II on a 10-day contract after the All-Star break, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. After spending time with Santa Cruz, where he averaged 19.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, Knox is getting another shot in the NBA.

His career started with high expectations when the Knicks took him ninth overall in 2018. As a rookie, he started 57 games, but things quickly changed. His role diminished, and he eventually found himself bouncing between the Hawks, Pistons, and Blazers.

Knox played 31 games for the Pistons last season, averaging 7.2 points while shooting efficiently. This season, he’s been dominating in the G League with Santa Cruz, putting up 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

Golden State doesn’t have much cap space, sitting just $1.37 million below the hard cap. That means handing out multiple rest-of-season contracts isn’t an option. It’s a tough spot, but honestly, it’s not the biggest disappointment surrounding the Warriors right now.

And Mark T. Willard said it best on the Willard & Dibs podcast: “I can’t believe Chase Center has the All-Star Game, there’s a 3-point competition, and Steph’s not in it. I’m surprised and disappointed that Steph Curry isn’t going to have a bigger visual impact on the weekend.”

Steph missing out on a major moment at his home arena? That stings even more! The greatest shooter ever not participating in his home arena? Feels like a missed opportunity.

In a way, that mirrors the Warriors’ season—flashes of brilliance but missed chances. They started the year stuck at .500, struggling for consistency. But now things look different.

The Warriors season so far and an opportunity to salvage it

Golden State looked stuck in neutral at 16-16, fresh off an 18-point loss. Now, they’re 28-27, still the 10th seed, but this team? Feels different.

Enter Jimmy Butler. His impact isn’t just about stats—it’s how the Warriors play. They still let it fly from three (third in attempts), but Butler’s aggression at the rim has added a missing element: free throws. In four games with him, they’ve taken 110 and hit 83.6%. That wasn’t happening before.

Defensively, Butler isn’t Wiggins, but his help on defense has been a game-changer. The Warriors have racked up steals—8, 16, 9, and 13 in four games. Draymond Green’s thriving too, with 13 steals and 25 assists since Butler arrived. And Curry? He’s cooking again, averaging 31.0 points on 45.8% shooting in that stretch.

Podziemski’s locked in as the starting SG, Moody’s confidence is growing, and Kuminga’s return is on the horizon after missing 20 straight games. But the biggest test? Can this team build momentum? They haven’t won three straight since mid-November.

With the second-easiest schedule left in the West, the opportunity is there. Butler’s changed the energy—now it’s time to stack wins.