Brutal News: Jimmy Butler's Season-Ending ACL Injury for Warriors

On Monday night, Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, now set to miss the rest of the season for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors took the risk on adding another player in the second half of his career during the 2025 trade deadline, and while he showed signs of being a major difference maker in his roughly 11.5 months in the Bay Area, he’ll no longer have the chance to help this team and Stephen Curry, with another title, at least this year. Speaking on NBA Today, insider Shams Charania revealed that Golden State is preparing for Butler to miss the start of next season after suffering the devastating knee injury. “The Warriors are already embracing for the possibility and the potential likelihood that he’s gonna miss the start of next season,” Charania said. While previous ACL injury timelines were seen at about a year, that has shortened a bit, but with Butler’s age and the potential severity of the tear, hoping for a quicker recovery might be wishful thinking. Jimmy Butler ACL Injury And Recovery Timeline A full year of recovery, with the return of this same time next year, is likely the longest it would take Butler to get back on the floor. However, set to turn 37 years old over the summer, as Charania mentioned, it will be an uphill battle for the wing player, one that isn’t going to come any easier considering his game. “He turns 37 this offseason, and he faces a year-long work of recovery potentially,” Charania said. “Since he got there in February, they’ve had almost a .700 win percentage, (with him) in a Warrior uniform…now he’s out for the rest of the season. He’s their second-best player. Just a devastating blow to the Golden State Warriors.” The season-ending injury came in the third quarter of Golden State’s game against the Miami Heat, as he collided with Davion Mitchell and twisted his right knee while attempting to grab an entry pass. Speaking after the game, Curry said that Butler appeared to remain in good spirits, despite the severity of the injury. “He was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground,” he said. “In true Jimmy fashion, he’s always gonna have a good time no matter what the situation is.” Anthony Slater reported that Butler had an MRI on his knee to confirm the ACL tear, and Charania added that once the swelling goes down, he is set to have surgery. The Warriors won 12 of their last 16 games before Butler went out, their strongest run of the season, but will now be missing their second-highest scorer and third-highest rebounder and assist man. Warriors Trade Rumors, Jonathan Kuminga’s Future What remains a major plot point for Golden State amid Butler’s injury is the future of Jonathan Kuminga. Per Charania, it is still unknown whether the franchise will continue to scour the trade market to find the best deal they can get for Kuminga or keep him as a replacement for Butler. The 23-year-old hasn’t played in over a month, and according to the insider, the relationship between him and head coach Steve Kerr is ‘beyond repair.’ “In some shape or form, the Warriors are back on the rollercoaster that is their saga with Jonathan Kuminga,” he said. “Whether they go all-in again with Kuminga to see, can he play in the absence of Jimmy Butler, the focus is going to squarely be on him…My sources tell me the relationship between him and Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair.” After Butler’s injury and the game, in which the Warriors won in dominant fashion, Kerr himself addressed Kuminga and his future. “Sure. Absolutely,” Kerr said, on whether Butler’s injury would result in Kuminga getting back in the rotation.