It’s been almost two months since Jimmy Butler suffered the ACL tear that ended his season. He underwent surgery on the ligament over five weeks ago and has continued his rehab since. For today’s game in Washington, D.C., against the Wizards, he took a big step forward by finally joining the team on a road trip.
Advertisement
Naturally, Butler was asked about his recovery post-game, and admitted to doing well overall. Things are on track for him to make a return, but of course, with it being an ACL tear, one can never be too cautious about rushing back.
The 25-26 season is effectively over for Butler, who’ll just spend the next few months cheering his fellow Warriors on. As for when he can return, Butler doesn’t have a definitive answer.
“I do want to come back, we all know that. I can’t say when. Obviously, as early as I can to help my guys win some games,” Butler told the Golden State Warriors media after the 125-117 win over the Wizards. “Whenever my body’s ready, I promise I’m trying to get back out there.”
Typically, an ACL tear takes anywhere from six to twelve months for a full recovery. Given that Butler suffered his on January 16, that puts him on track to return in mid-June at the earliest, which would fall during the NBA Finals.
Jimmy Butler on if he has any idea when he’d come back:
“I do want to come back. We all know that. I can’t say when. Obviously, as early as I can to help my guys win some games… Whenever my body’s ready, I promise I’m trying to get back out there.” pic.twitter.com/FgPPpSTCmQ
— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) March 16, 2026
At two games below .500 and sitting in the ninth seed, it’s highly unlikely the Warriors make it that far in the playoffs. They’ve been slipping down the Western Conference since Butler was sidelined, and an additional injury to Steph Curry hasn’t helped either.
Butler is now 36. It’s great to hear that his rehab has been going well, but there’s no guarantee he’ll return as the same player. Because of that, he should focus on getting healthy and ready for next season rather than pushing ahead of schedule for a potential playoff run. And that seems to be exactly what he’s doing.
After all, Butler later admitted that he most likely won’t be traveling for the Warriors’ remaining road games this season. He received clearance to travel to D.C. for this one, but will now return to the Bay Area to continue treatment and rehab on his knee.
At the end of the day, Butler’s injury was a massive blow to the Warriors’ season. He is still under contract with the team next year and will be back for 2026-27, but it is tough not to think about the kind of playoff run he and Curry could have gone on this year.
