BBC Sport

Jimmy Butler grabbing his knee in pain

On Monday, January 19, 2026, the All-Star level Golden State Warriors small forward Jimmy Butler received a pass from shooting guard Brandin Podzemski, then attempted to go up for the short mid-range, but made brutal contact with Miami Heat point guard Davion Mitchell, leading to a tragic fall, resulting in a torn ACL on his right knee. 

The doctors confirmed that it’s a season-ending injury and will remain sidelined for the rest of the 2025-2026 season. He will undergo surgery, followed by months of rehabilitation, to get his knee back to full health. In Jimmy’s 38 games played this season, he averaged 20.0 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. This is a huge blow for the organization.

The Fans and teammates were stunned. Jimmy even joked after the fall about wanting to shoot free throws, which just shows his personality and humor even through the discomfort. Head coach Steve Kerr, in a post-game interview, expressed deep disappointment and concern with Jimmy, his team’s future, and what the future lineup may look like. Kerr also emphasized Butler’s role on the court as a fantastic leader, playmaker, and confidence in himself and his team. Just the next day, the Warriors lost 145-127 in Jimmy’s absence, with the Toronto Raptors leading as much as 30 points at one point in the game. Thus, showing Butler’s huge impact and piece to the Warriors game. 

A torn ACL takes a very long time to recover from. A lot of the time, close to a full year before a player can be back fully healthy. This means there is a chance Jimmy may miss the launch of the 2026-2027 season. Another downside is that he is 36 years old and a known vet. He is a few years past his prime, and this makes it tougher to come back from compared to a fresh 26-year-old averaging 25, 6, and 8. If he rehabs well, he should be back by the start or a handful of games into the 2027 season. 

Since Jimmy is out for the season, it hurts my fantasy team quite a bit as he was averaging 39.1 fantasy points per game and ranked 11th in his position. He will record no points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, or anything. For those reasons, I had to trade him in for another forward, a young 2nd-year Chicago Bulls Forward who goes by the name of Matas Buzelis. He is averaging 29.7 fantasy points and is ranked 16th in his position. I lost value, but I am hoping he breaks out and plays a big role in my team. 

Bottom line, it’s a rough moment for the fans, teammates, coaches, and of course, Jimmy Butler himself. Fortunately, this is not the end of his story, just a hard chapter and an adversity he has to face. Without him, Golden State will have to turn its head to Forward Jonathan Kuminga and Center Al Horford. As long as they stay healthy, they should be a solid 8 seed. We’re all hoping he comes back stronger and ready to dominate the court.