Stephen A. Smith sees a steep drop-off in the Warriors’ playoff outlook following Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury.

Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Smith was blunt in assessing what Butler’s absence means for Golden State.

“Devastating,” Smith said. “I think it means they go home in the first round. That’s just what I see.”

Smith pointed to the ripple effects of losing Butler, who served as the Warriors’ secondary offensive option, and emphasized that the team now faces internal and on-court challenges that compound the issue.

“[Butler] goes down, and that’s a problem because the person that you have to rely on now more so is Jonathan Kuminga, who Shams reported, the relationship with him and Steve Kerr is irreparable — it’s done,” Smith explained.

The tension has played out publicly in recent weeks, with Kuminga becoming trade-eligible and league sources confirming he has requested a trade from the Warriors amid inconsistent playing time.

Smith acknowledged Kerr’s résumé while arguing that the disconnect between coach and player has stalled Kuminga’s development and left Golden State without a reliable offensive counterpunch.

“Kuminga has religiously felt like Steve Kerr didn’t have the faith in him necessary,” Smith remarked. “Steve Kerr obviously has his reasons and Steve Kerr is one of the great, great coaches we’ve ever seen in NBA history.”

This season, Kuminga is averaging 12.2 points per game, down from 15.3 last year and 16.1 the season before.

“He’s going in the opposite direction, and we know it’s not because of the skillset,” Smith stated. “In all likelihood, it’s because of his relationship with the coach, who he doesn’t seem to want to play for, and Steve Kerr doesn’t seem to want him to play for the Warriors.”

With the Western Conference stacked with contenders, Smith noted that the margin for error has disappeared.

“It’s just a bad situation right now,” Smith said. “When you scour the Western Conference … it’s just too much for the Golden State Warriors to overcome without the services of Jimmy Butler. They make the playoffs in all likelihood still, might squeeze in there if not the play-in, but after that, they’re going home.”

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