Golden State Warriors wing Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn right ACL in Monday night’s 135-112 victory over the Miami Heat, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, casting doubt on the franchise’s future direction. An MRI confirmed the tear after Butler left the arena for evaluation.
Butler’s injury occurred at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter when he leaped to grab an entry pass in the paint and collided with Heat guard Davion Mitchell. His right knee appeared to twist on landing, sending him to the court in pain.
Butler remained down for several minutes as teammates surrounded him at a stunned Chase Center. He eventually was pulled to his feet and slowly helped to the locker room, unable to bear weight on his right leg while joking with nearby officials that he was owed two free throws.
“He was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “In true Jimmy fashion, he’s always gonna have a good time no matter what the situation is.”
Teammates Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga draped Butler’s arms over their shoulders and assisted him down the tunnel to a wheelchair near the locker room entrance. Steve Kerr described the team as “concerned” and “subdued” while awaiting news about one of its leaders.
The injury strikes as the surging Warriors (25-19) have won 12 of their past 16 games, climbing back up the standings partly due to Butler’s recent performance. Butler, 36, entered Monday averaging 21.3 points on 53 percent shooting in January and posted 17 points in 21 minutes against his former team before the injury.
Butler was traded from Miami to Golden State in February 2025, agreeing to a two-year, $111 million extension to finalize the deal. In his initial weeks with the Warriors, Butler transformed them from a lottery team to a postseason threat before helping them advance to the second round of the playoffs in May against the Houston Rockets, generating internal belief they had enough remaining for a final championship run in the Curry era.
Despite some teamwide inconsistencies this season, Butler has been steady and productive as Curry’s co-star, averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists while appearing in 38 of the team’s 44 games. He elevated his play during the recent 12-4 stretch.
Butler’s absence forces the Warriors, already searching for reinforcements ahead of the February 5 trade deadline, to reassess their standing with an aging core. Butler is making $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million next season, the final season of his contract.