Jimmy Butler may be safe to unpack his spare bag.
The Golden State Warriors have made it clear to their star forward Butler that they are going to stick by him as he begins his rehab process, Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported on Sunday. This news comes with just days to go before the Feb. 5 trade deadline and with Butler having recently suffered a torn ACL.
Butler, who turns 37 in September, tore his right ACL during a game against the Miami Heat on Jan. 19 (see the video here). As such, he is now facing the prospects of a year-long rehab.
Meanwhile, the 27-23 Warriors badly need to make an upgrade to their roster right now in order to maximize the years they have left with superstar guard Steph Curry. Most notably, they are seen as a leading player in the race to trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Butler, who is making $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million next season, would seem like a natural choice for the Warriors to match salaries for Antetokounmpo. But in recent days, we heard that Golden State could shockingly trade another player as part of a deal for Antetokounmpo instead.
If there is a silver lining for Butler, it is that his ACL tear occurred early enough that he might possibly be in play to return for the second half of the 2026-27 season. Though a surprise trade could still materialize before this week’s deadline, it looks like the likeliest scenario is Butler remaining a Warrior for the indefinite future.
