During Monday night’s 135-112 victory over the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors lost star Jimmy Butler III to a torn ACL. Butler will miss the remainder of this season, and his recovery could extend into the 2026-2027 season, depending on rehabilitation progress.
Warriors Are Unlikely to Trade Jimmy Butler III Despite Devastating Knee Injury
Butler was injured during the third quarter when he cut to the basket to catch a pass from Brandin Podziemski. He ran into Heat guard Davion Mitchell and was fouled. Mitchell landed on Butler’s right leg. It buckled, and Butler grabbed his knee and writhed in pain.
“Obviously a gut punch on every level for Jimmy and the entire group, but I firmly believe that this is a part of the journey … I’ve known for over 10 years now that Jimmy is going to win a championship before he is done. My belief in that is unwavering,” said Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee.
The Warriors hoped to make a pre-deadline move to make one more run with Butler, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green. That may no longer be the case. The Warriors have been linked to stars like Anthony Davis, but since the team will not deal Curry or Green, acquiring Davis appears nearly impossible.
Trading Butler could match salaries, but this scenario appears unlikely. ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reports Butler is not expected to be traded. “We don’t see Butler getting traded, right,” Spears said. “One GM told me he says doubtful. Too much money.”
Marc Spears:
“We don’t see Butler getting traded. One GM told me he says doubtful. Too much money. The thing with the Warriors is I’ve been told that they haven’t wanted to add salary” pic.twitter.com/T3L00EyLYm
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 20, 2026
The only move the Warriors may make is finally trading Kuminga. “But I think exploring the Kuminga thing now and maybe him playing for a couple weeks helps but I think he’s their only option.” Spears explained. “I think he’s their only option, it’s something they have to do. They have to make a change with him regardless. The thing with the Warriors is I’ve been told that they haven’t wanted to add salary.”
Keeping Butler brings challenges. He will be 37 in September as he recovers from his devastating knee injury. Also, the deadline to apply for the disabled player exception has already passed.
Butler is having another solid season. In 38 games, he’s averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He’s also shooting 51.9% from the floor, 37.6% from three, and 86.4% from the charity stripe.
Despite Butler’s injury and the Warriors’ inability to take back salary, the team will still be one to watch as the February 5 trade deadline approaches.
