Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in Monday’s 135-112 win over the Miami Heat. His season is over.
Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, confirmed the injury Tuesday. Lee called it a “gut punch” and said Butler would “attack this challenge” hoping to come back stronger.
Butler seemingly confirmed the injury as well, putting up a post on Instagram stating he would “be back before you know it.”
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The injury took place in the third quarter at the Chase Center after Butler caught a contested pass in the paint. Butler landed awkwardly on his right leg and fell to the ground after contact from Davion Mitchell drew a foul.
Butler writhed on the court and clutched his right knee after sustaining the injury. Warriors coach Steve Kerr called a timeout to check on Butler as Butler screamed in pain on the baseline.
Butler eventually left the court with the help of two teammates. He was unable to put weight on his right foot as he made his way to the tunnel.
The Warriors announced after his exit that Butler was ruled out for the game with a right knee injury. They later said Butler would undergo an MRI and didn’t reveal any information about the severity of the injury.
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“Praying for the best, as far as scans,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Overnight Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Butler was dealing with a torn ACL.
Butler previously had two significant injuries to same knee earlier in his career: a meniscus tear in 2018 and an MCL sprain in 2024.
Big blow for Butler, Warriors
Butler, a five-time All-NBA selection, is in his second season with the Warriors following a midseason trade from the Heat in 2024-25. The Warriors acquired Butler in an effort to compete for another championship on the back end of Stephen Curry’s prime.
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Butler’s maintained his high level of play at 36 years old. In 37 games before Monday’s, Butler was averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 38.1% from 3. Curry, meanwhile, is averaging 27.6 points per game and leads the league for an 11th time with 4.5 made 3s per game on 38.6% shooting. He was named an All-Star starter earlier Monday.
With Butler and Curry leading the team, the Warriors now hold a 25-19 record, good for eighth place the Western Conference. Butler’s ACL tear projects to end any previous long-shot hope of Golden State competing in the West and could impact how the approach the trade market ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.