The Golden State Warriors have struggled to stay above the play-in tournament line in a loaded Western Conference this season, and their path forward might have just gotten tougher.
The Warriors saw star Jimmy Butler go down in serious pain with a knee injury on Monday night, causing immediate concern for Stephen Curry's veteran sidekick after his impressive first half of the season.
Butler suffered the injury while competing with Miami's Davion Mitchell for a pass. He grabbed the ball but came down awkwardly on his right knee, ending his night.
Here's what you need to know about Butler's injury and how long it will keep him out.
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What is Jimmy Butler's injury?
Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Monday's game against the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The injury occurred after Butler went up to bring down a pass. His knee buckled on the way down, causing him to lose the ball and reach for his knee in serious pain.
Jimmy Butler III: 17 points on 6-11 shooting, 5-5 from the FT line, 4 assists & 2 steals in 21 minutes (Injured his right knee with 7:41 remaining in the 3rd quarter & didn't return) pic.twitter.com/oPUDuhlw9c
— Lee Harvey (@Sayian_Warrior) January 20, 2026
After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed some optimism because Butler was in high spirits but admitted the team was on pins and needles while waiting for MRI results. "Everybody is subdued because of the injury waiting to hear the news," Kerr said, adding, "We're all really concerned."
The Warriors' worst fears were confirmed overnight as Butler was diagnosed with an ACL tear.
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How long is Jimmy Butler out?
Butler will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
The injury is a massive blow to a Warriors team that has generally hovered just above.500 throughout the season, which might only be good enough for one of the play-in slots in the west. Golden State woke up Tuesday in the No. 8 seed, but crowded standings gave the team hope of a second-half surge. That path becomes much more difficult without Butler, who was averaging 20.0 points per game.
The Warriors are 2-4 without Butler and 23-15 with him this season.
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Torn ACL recovery time
A player's recovery time after an ACL tear varies, but it typically falls in the 9-12 month range. While a return after nine months is possible, Dallas Mavericks PG Kyrie Irving, for example, has yet to return from an early March 2025 ACL tear and is targeting a mid-February return.
That means Butler could miss the start of the 2025-26 season, when he will be 37. Nine months would take Butler to roughly opening night, and a recovery period any longer than that would force him to miss some time to start the year.
Jimmy Butler stats
Here's a look at Butler's final stats for the season:
- Games: 38
- MPG: 31.1
- PPG: 20.0
- RPG: 5.6
- APG: 4.9
- BPG: 0.2
- SPG: 1.4
- FG%: 51.9%
- 3P%: 37.6%
- FT%: 55.4%
Butler's 51.9 percent mark from the field was his highest field-goal percentage since 2022-23, and he was averaging 2.5 more points per game than he did a season ago.
Jimmy Butler contract
Butler is heading into the final year of a two-year, $111 million contract in 2026-27. He is set to make $56.8 million with the Warriors next season, which will be his age-37 campaign.