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Jimmy Butler, Four Months After ACL Surgery, Says He Expects Early-Season Return
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler, who tore his right ACL in January, told ESPN he remains on track for a midseason return next year. He appeared in San Francisco this week for a team sponsorship event and discussed his recovery and desire to finish his career with the franchise.
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Jimmy Butler told ESPN he expects to return as a top player after tearing his right ACL on January 19 during a win over the Miami Heat. The forward underwent surgery on the knee and spoke with the network near the four-month mark of his recovery. Butler appeared in San Francisco this past week as the featured guest at the Warriors' announcement of a new jersey patch sponsor.
He said he is still about six weeks from full-speed running and can jump off his left leg to dunk but cannot yet land on his right leg. The Warriors acquired Butler in a February 2025 trade. He helped the team finish the regular season with a 23-8 run and upset the second-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2025 playoffs before a Stephen Curry hamstring injury contributed to a second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 2025-26 season brought different results. The Warriors finished 37-45 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament. Butler will turn 37 in September. Butler said he wants to play as many games as possible alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
He added that the organization brought him to the team for that reason and that he hopes to return early in the season. "I'm right back to who I've always been," Butler told ESPN. "Probably better if we was to really talk about it.
I know I'm still going to be a top player whenever I get back. " Butler also said he wants to retire with the Warriors. "End is a bad word, but this is where I want to be done," he said.
