The Golden State Warriors’ torrid start to the 2025–26 season has been pushed further into the spotlight by reported uneasiness in the locker room. Veterans Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green both made statements expressing their frustration with certain members of the squad. The question is whether they should air those concerns publicly.
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Green accused some teammates of having personal agendas that serve themselves rather than the greater good of the team. “If it doesn’t work, you kind of have to get rid of your agenda or eventually the agenda is the cause of someone getting rid of you,” Green told the press. Butler echoed that idea in his own way. “The fight, honestly. I just think the fight is not all the way there.”
Rumors suggest that Green and Butler were referring to Jonathan Kuminga, who created real tension for the organization over the summer during his stalled contract talks. Another possibility is Brandin Podziemski, who drew some eye rolls from the Warriors after declaring that he wanted to be better than Steph Curry. There is nothing wrong with that goal. It just might be wiser not to say it while The Chef is still on the roster.
These comments were broken down on the latest edition of the Road Trippin podcast. Retired star Richard Jefferson said he had no issue with veterans calling out players who are not fulfilling their roles. But Kendrick Perkins was not a happy man.
The former Boston Celtics star was displeased with Green’s approach, specifically. “Here’s the point that kind of made me a little bit disappointed in Draymond. There was a point in your f***ing career where you had individual goals. You had agendas. You wanted to make an All-Star game. And guess what? That’s okay. “
Perk then shared a story of a time he was on the Celtics, and he was having himself a really good statistical season despite the C’s slumping and Kevin Garnett being out injured. “You could feel the tension in the locker room,” he began. “At this point, I’m playing the best basketball of my career. I’m averaging like 16 and 11. I’m No. 2 in the league in blocked shots. Doc is going to me on the low block. This is my first time ever having a legit shot to make the All-Star game.”
According to Perkins, KG called him out for playing selfishly, but later apologized because he knew he had tried to do the same thing when he was on the Timberwolves. It is all cyclical. Agendas can even be useful at times, as long as they do not cloud the main objective of the franchise.
This is really what the Warriors have to sort out. They need to understand where the line is between healthy ambition and harmful ego. Having players who want to shine is not a bad thing. It is actually part of what keeps a team competitive.
But when the chase for personal milestones starts to overshadow winning, the entire foundation begins to wobble. If Golden State can get everyone rowing in the same direction again, they will stabilize quickly. If not, this early-season turbulence may be a preview of a long and uncomfortable ride.
