Jimmy Butler is keeping his target return date from ACL surgery locked down, telling ESPN’s Anthony Slater, “Y’all just find out whenever y’all find out.” That’s a classic Butler move, playing it close to the vest, but it’s also a stark reminder that the Golden State Warriors are entering the new season with a huge question mark hanging over their head.
The Silence From Butler Is Deafening
Look, when a six-time All-Star like Butler goes quiet on a return timeline, you know there’s a lot riding on it. He’s not just talking smack, though he’s certainly doing that about his ability post-injury. Butler flat-out dismissed contract negotiations, too, telling Slater he doesn’t “pay attention to it.” The dude is set to earn a massive $56.8 million next season before hitting free agency in 2027, according to Spotrac, but he’s pushing all that to his agent, Bernie Lee, and Mike Dunleavy. His job? To “hoop,” to “help us win,” to “compete at a high level,” and to “be the best leader, teammate, vet that I can to these young guys.” He ain’t here for the drama, just the game.
The Weight of Last Season’s Collapse
Can you blame him for wanting to focus? Butler’s 2025-26 season got cut short way too early after he tore his ACL on January 19. And he felt the weight of that. “I really felt like I let Steph down,” Butler explained to Slater. “I let Draymond down. I let Steve down.” He knows the Warriors “took a chance” on him in that midseason trade with the Miami Heat during their 2024-25 campaign, banking on him because, as he put it, “This motherf–ker knows how to win.” And he wasn’t wrong. His tenure started on fire, with the Warriors posting a 23-7 record in his first 30 games. Even the next season, before the injury, they had climbed to a 25-19 record despite a slow start. Butler was putting up 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, with sweet shooting splits of 51.9/37.6/86.4. The dude was balling out. And boom, the wheels fell off. Without him, Golden State stumbled to a 37-45 record, getting bounced in the play-in tournament. That’s a rough scene. But if you think Butler is worried about concerns about his on-court ability after the injury, you got another thing coming. “I don’t give a f–k, honestly,” he told Slater. He’s betting teams won’t ignore him, they’ll send extra bodies, they’ll foul him. That’s some serious confidence. Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area did report back on September 28 that Butler was progressing, doing light drills like shooting, dribbling, and passing.
So while Jimmy Butler won’t be out there for the tip-off of the 2026-27 season, you know he’s itching to get back. The Warriors open their season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. Once he’s cleared, he’s looking to provide a “boost” to that starting lineup. And after seeing how last season played out without him, a boost is exactly what they’re gonna need.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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