Jimmy Butler injury: Warriors star suffers torn ACL, will miss remainder of season
Jimmy Butler is out for the season, with his injury coming two weeks before the trade deadline
Any hope the Golden State Warriors had of making a run into the postseason might have just come to an abrupt halt as Jimmy Butler went down Monday night with a torn ACL. The injury, which came in the third quarter against the Miami Heat, will end Butler's season, the team announced Tuesday. Butler will undergo surgery at a to-be-determined date.
With 7:41 left in the third quarter, Brandin Podziemski tried to float a post entry pass over the top to Butler, who had his man sealed; however, as he went up for the catch, Davion Mitchell collided with Butler, who came down awkwardly on his right leg.
The immediate pain felt by Butler and the seriousness of the injury were obvious.
Jimmy Butler had to be helped to the locker room after appearing to injury his knee pic.twitter.com/sOSpAxbbAP
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 20, 2026
One can hear Butler scream in pain immediately, and he was unable to put any weight on the leg as teammates helped him to the locker room. All the Warriors said on Monday night was that Butler suffered a "knee injury," though by early Tuesday morning reports indicated it was an ACL tear in his right knee.
With Butler's season officially over, Golden State's campaign might be as well. The Warriors (25-19 after Monday's win and currently eighth in the West) were already going to have to go on a big second-half run to crawl above the play-in line.
Without Butler, who was in the middle of a terrific season, there is little chance Stephen Curry and Co. can make a serious run in the playoffs with the currently constructed roster.
Monday's development figures to impact Golden State's approach to the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Butler has one more season after this on his current contract, and he is owed $56.8 million next season before hitting free agency in the summer of 2027. The Warriors are also looking to move forward Jonathan Kuminga in the next two weeks.
The Warriors now are tied for the seventh-longest odds to win the West this season with a +5000 figure at DraftKings.
