The latest injury update for Jimmy Butler is looking grim. The NBA star forward for the Golden State Warriors led the charge toward a win against the Miami Heat on Monday, January 20, but after facing Heat guard Davion Mitchell, he had a terrible landing that caused his right knee to twist. While he was able to laugh about the injury as he was taken off the court to the locker room, his agent Bernie Lee later confirmed that the 36-year-old had suffered a torn ACL that many fear will take him out for a substantial amount of time.
When is Jimmy Butler III expected to return?
Unfortunately, the recovery time for Jimmy Butler III’s knee injury is expected to take a year, to the point that it could jeopardize his season next year, according to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
“He will undergo season-ending surgery on that torn ACL once the swelling goes down in his knee,” Charania explained on NBA Today on Tuesday. “But he turns 37 this offseason, and he faces a year-long worth of recovery potentially.”
He continued, “The Warriors are already embracing for the possibility and the potential likelihood that he’s gonna miss the start of next season.”
Calling Butler as the Golden State Warrior’s “second-best player,” Charania describes the injury as “a devastating blow” to the team, especially in the short term. “Since he got there in February, they’ve had almost a .700 win percentage in a Warrior uniform … Butler has been the perfect fit next to Stephen Curry and now he’s out for the rest of the season.”
The 36-year-old has faced several injuries to his right knee throughout his career, including a torn meniscus in 2018 and a sprained MCL in 2024.
The loss of Butler will notably impact the Warriors as they look for substitute players and reinforcements before the trade deadline of February 5.
