The Golden State Warriors crushed the Miami Heat on Monday night, winning 135-112, and giving them their 12th win in their last 16 games. But it came at a serious, and heartbreaking cost. In the third quarter, star forward Jimmy Butler III left the game after falling to the floor in agony following a non-contact injury to his knee. Butler was helped off the court, unable to put weight on his leg.
And as the clock struck midnight and the day flipped from Monday to Tuesday, the worst fears were confirmed: ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Butler has suffered a torn ACL.
That officially will end his season, and unofficially will end whatever slim chances the Warriors had of competing this year following their recent surge.
The Warriors have experience with torn ACL timelines, most recently with Butler’s current teammate, De’Anthony Melton, who returned in early December from ACL surgery. Melton’s return came just shy of 13 months after he initially suffered the injury. It’s not uncommon for players to return from ACL tears after 11 or 12 months, but given Butler’s age (36), and the fact that this is his third serious injury to his right knee, and it’s safe to pencil him in for the long end of the spectrum. A return shortly after the 2027 All-Star break seems like the most likely scenario for Butler.
We’ll see if he’s still on the Warriors then, as his enormous contract now becomes salary that the Warriors may look to move, either at the deadline or in the offseason (it will be an expiring contract if they wait until the latter, so it will have some value). But that’s something to think about on another day.
For now, it’s just sadness. For Butler, and for the Warriors.
