Jimmy Butler is targeting a return from an ACL injury around January or February, giving the Golden State Warriors hope that his comeback could reignite their championship ambitions and extend Stephen Curry’s final competitive chapter.
Eight months after Butler suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, the veteran forward is gradually regaining his strength and confidence. The injury came during one of the strongest stretches of his 15th NBA season, abruptly derailing a Warriors campaign that had begun to show genuine promise.
The moment remains vivid. Butler remembers receiving a high pass from Brandin Podziemski as he moved towards the basket, only for Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell to slide underneath him. The landing brought immediate, excruciating pain, prompting a scream that silenced the arena.
Speaking to ESPN after the Warriors’ third training camp practice in Hawaii, Butler recalled lying face down on the court as teammates gathered around him. He could hear Buddy Hield urging him to get up, even managing a familiar exchange of trash talk before turning onto his back.
When Butler opened his eyes, he saw Stephen Curry standing above him.
Curry, whom Butler affectionately calls Batman, immediately recognised the seriousness of the situation. He later said Butler’s attempt to joke with Hield was a way of coping with the pain rather than a sign that the injury was minor.
Before Butler went down, Golden State had begun to find its rhythm. After opening the season with a disappointing 13-15 record, the Warriors won 11 of 15 games during a period in which Butler averaged 21 points, five rebounds and five assists.
In his final game before the injury, he scored 32 points on 14-of-22 shooting in a commanding victory over the New York Knicks. Golden State had improved to 25-19, restoring confidence that it could compete with the league’s leading teams.
Head coach Steve Kerr believed the Warriors were dangerous as long as their key players remained healthy. Butler’s injury, however, changed the outlook almost overnight, effectively ending the team’s championship hopes for the season.
A setback that reshaped the Warriors’ plans
Butler was injured more than two weeks before the NBA trade deadline, when Golden State was exploring ways to strengthen its roster. One potential target was Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, a move that could have required the Warriors to include either Butler’s or Draymond Green’s contract alongside a package of draft picks.
The Bucks ultimately declined, and Butler was not offered in other potential trades, according to team sources cited by ESPN.
Despite his injury and an expiring contract worth $56.8 million, general manager Mike Dunleavy continues to view Butler as central to the team’s plans for the coming years. Golden State also declined to pursue deals involving Butler and draft picks for Anthony Davis or Jaylen Brown during the summer, with the organisation unconvinced that the potential returns justified the cost.
That decision has left the Warriors facing an uncertain start to the new season. With Butler sidelined and Moses Moody also injured, the team is missing two wings whose combined salaries total $69 million. Many observers expect Golden State to struggle near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Within the organisation, however, much of the discussion centres on Butler’s potential return. At 37, he faces the challenge of recovering from a major knee injury while being expected to restore the team’s competitiveness.
Kerr believes the situation could mirror last season in reverse. Rather than losing Butler in February, the Warriors hope to welcome him back around that time, potentially adding an experienced and physically imposing player just months before the playoffs.
The priority, Kerr says, is to establish a strong foundation before Butler returns, allowing the team to build momentum and give him a competitive environment in which to rejoin the lineup.
How Butler won over Curry and the Warriors
Curry was initially among those within Golden State who had reservations about acquiring Butler, whose departure from Miami had followed a prolonged and highly publicised dispute with the Heat.
The Warriors had considered alternatives, including Zach LaVine. Curry was also attached to Andrew Wiggins, a key contributor to Golden State’s 2022 championship, who would have needed to leave for a deal to work. Curry largely stayed out of the front office’s decision-making, consistent with his preference to leave roster matters to management.
Dunleavy, however, pushed strongly for Butler’s arrival. Having played alongside him in Chicago for three seasons, the general manager had witnessed his development and believed his intensity, defensive ability and competitive personality would suit Golden State.
Dunleavy also expected Butler to fit naturally alongside Curry, Green and Kerr. The Warriors subsequently committed to a two-year, $111 million extension as part of the deal.
Those expectations were quickly validated. Butler joined a team with a 25-25 record and helped transform its mood and performances. His ability to attack the basket, draw fouls and limit turnovers complemented Curry’s perimeter scoring, while his competitive edge brought renewed confidence to the locker room.
Kerr described Butler as a lion, praising both his toughness and his humour. The forward’s personality, he said, gave the team a sense of swagger and made his presence felt well beyond the statistics.
Golden State finished the regular season with a 23-8 run after acquiring Butler, defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs and advanced to face Minnesota. The Warriors still believe they could have beaten the Timberwolves had Curry not suffered a hamstring injury during the series.
That run strengthened the organisation’s belief that the team could contend for another title. Butler’s ACL injury then brought those ambitions to a sudden halt.
The Warriors went 12-26 after losing him, while Curry missed two months with a persistent knee problem. The team also traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who struggled to maintain a consistent presence in the lineup.
For Butler, the collapse was deeply personal. He said he felt he had let Curry, Green and Kerr down after they had taken a chance on him, choosing to trust his ability to win rather than the negative headlines surrounding his departure from Miami.
The road back
Golden State has another injured wing to monitor in Moody, who ruptured his left patellar tendon in late March. The injury required him to be carried off the court on a stretcher, but doctors subsequently described the nature of the tear as relatively favourable for recovery.
According to team sources, Moody is progressing faster than Butler and is expected to return first. The current internal outlook places Moody’s comeback somewhere between December and January, with Butler potentially returning between January and February.
Neither player has progressed beyond individual court work, and both still face several rehabilitation milestones. Butler has said his next major test is landing comfortably after a jump performed at something approaching game speed.
He has declined to reveal a specific return date, suggesting that the organisation will announce it when the time is right.
Beyond the injury recoveries, Golden State is also preparing for a significant financial transition. Dunleavy has prioritised flexibility through expiring contracts and could create close to $60 million in salary-cap space next summer.
Kerr acknowledges that the team’s transition towards a younger roster will take time, but believes the combination of promising young players and financial flexibility could open new opportunities.
Butler, like Green, hopes to remain part of that future. He has repeatedly expressed a desire to finish his career with Golden State, although his contract situation will become increasingly important as he approaches free agency. He becomes eligible for an extension on 6 February.
For now, Butler insists that contract negotiations are not his concern. His priority is to return to the court, compete at a high level and help the younger players develop.
Can Curry’s final chapter be rewritten?
When Golden State completed the Butler trade, Curry and Green immediately began thinking about what it could mean for the team’s future. Green later recalled Curry describing the move as their last ride together, reflecting the possibility that the deal represented the final major attempt to build another championship team around the two-time MVP.
The trade had been viewed as the front office’s last significant move in Curry’s era, with the Warriors adding a proven star while preserving much of their future draft capital.
Butler’s injury threatened to close that window before the team could fully capitalise on the partnership. Eight months into his rehabilitation, however, Curry still believes there is a chance to revive the project.
He points to Butler’s previous arrival in Golden State as proof that the forward can change a team’s trajectory in ways few anticipate. Curry also believes Butler has found a home with the Warriors and understands that his teammates’ immediate responsibility is to keep the team competitive until he returns.
The two players developed a closer bond during their respective injury struggles. Last March, while working through his own knee rehabilitation, Curry visited Butler in Los Angeles. Their conversations during that difficult period reinforced Butler’s determination to help the Warriors win another championship.
Butler says his progress through rehabilitation has restored his belief that he can still perform at an elite level. He wants to repay the trust shown by Curry, Green and Kerr, and remains convinced that he will command the attention of opposing defences when he returns.
His message to those who doubt his ability to recover is blunt: he does not believe opponents will suddenly stop treating him as a threat.
Whether Butler can return close enough to his previous level to make Golden State a genuine contender remains uncertain. His age, the demands of ACL rehabilitation and the Warriors’ depleted supporting cast all present significant challenges.
Yet Curry’s hopes rest on a familiar idea: that a team with the right combination of experience, talent and belief can still make one more run. If Butler returns on schedule and Golden State can remain competitive in his absence, the partnership that once transformed the team’s season may yet have another chapter to write.
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