During Monday’s 135-112 victory against the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, which will prematurely conclude his current season.
On Tuesday, Bernie Lee, Butler’s representative, verified the injury. Lee described it as a significant setback, stating that Butler intends to “confront this obstacle” with the aim of returning in better form.
Butler appeared to corroborate the injury himself by sharing an Instagram post indicating his impending return, remarking, “be back before you know it.”
The incident occurred during the third quarter at the Chase Center when Butler received a challenged pass near the basket. Following contact from Davion Mitchell, which resulted in a foul, Butler landed improperly on his right leg and collapsed onto the floor.
After being injured, Butler was seen in distress on the court, grasping his right knee. Steve Kerr, the Warriors’ coach, requested a timeout to attend to Butler, who was audible in pain along the baseline.
Ultimately, Butler departed the playing area, assisted by two of his colleagues. He could not bear any weight on his right foot as he headed towards the locker room tunnel.
Following his departure, the Warriors declared Butler would not return to the game due to an injury to his right knee. Subsequently, they mentioned that Butler was scheduled for an MRI, withholding details regarding the extent of the ailment.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry expressed, “Hoping for the most favorable outcome regarding the scans,” as reported by Anthony Slater of ESPN.
By early Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN disclosed that Butler was suffering from an ACL rupture.
In the past, Butler had encountered two considerable issues with the identical knee: a torn meniscus in 2018 and a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain in 2024.
Significant setback for Butler and the Warriors
Butler, who has been named to the All-NBA team five times, is currently in his second campaign with the Warriors, having joined them in a midseason transaction from the Heat during the 2024-25 season. Golden State secured Butler with the intention of contending for an additional championship during the later stages of Stephen Curry’s peak performance years.
Even at 36 years of age, Butler has sustained his exceptional performance level. Across 37 contests preceding Monday’s game, Butler recorded averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, achieving a 51.9% field goal percentage and 38.1% from beyond the arc. Concurrently, Curry is putting up 27.6 points per game and has topped the league for the eleventh occasion with 4.5 successful three-pointers per game, shooting at 38.6%. He received an announcement as an All-Star starter earlier on Monday.
Under the leadership of Butler and Curry, the Warriors currently boast a 25-19 win-loss tally, placing them in eighth position within the Western Conference standings. Butler’s ACL injury is anticipated to extinguish any lingering slim prospects of Golden State making a deep playoff run in the West and might influence their strategy in the trade market before the February 5th cutoff date.
