Warriors’ Jimmy Butler diagnosed with torn ACL, expected to miss rest of the season

Butler was named in the starting lineup for the crucial matchup as the Warriors looked to protect their position against chasing teams. With 7:41 left in the third quarter, he jumped to catch the ball but was bumped by Davion Mitchell. Butler fell to the floor and immediately grabbed his knee.

He needed assistance to leave the court and was taken straight to the hospital for further evaluation. Before the injury, Butler had delivered a strong performance, recording 17 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals in 21 minutes. The Warriors went on to win 135–112, maintaining eighth place in the Western Conference.

Steve Kerr addressed the situation after the game, saying: "Everyone is subdued because of the injury. Waiting to hear the news. He's getting an MRI right now," Kerr said. "We're all really concerned, but we'll know more after the MRI, obviously. We don't know anything at this point."

“He's an alpha. He's one of those guys in the league who everybody else in the gym knows that's the guy,” Kerr added. “He has that presence but he also has that game where we can play through him possession after possession. So, assuming we'll be without him for a little bit, we're going to miss him, we've got a lot of players who can play and we're showing our depth right now. We'll just wait for the news to figure out what's next.”

The diagnosis later confirmed a torn ACL, with Butler likely sidelined for the rest of the season. This is a significant blow for the Warriors, as he has been a key contributor, averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists across 37 appearances.

This is not the first knee injury of Butler’s career. In 2018, he underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear. In 2024, an MCL sprain ruled him out of Miami’s playoff run, which ended with a first-round loss to the Boston Celtics.