Jimmy Butler injury update, Jimmy Butler ACL Injury, Jimmy Butler injury return timeline, Butler injury recovery, Jimmy Butler ACL injury recovery, Warriors injury news, Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors, Warriors trade rumors, Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, Jimmy Butler trade rumors, Kuminga Warriors future
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Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors is looked at by teammates and trainers after he collided with Davion Mitchell #45 of the Miami Heat and injured his knee during the third quarter at Chase Center on January 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Jimmy Butleris set to miss the rest of the 2025-26 NBA season for the Golden State Warriors after suffering a torn ACL on Monday night against the Miami Heat.
The injury drastically changes the look of the Stephen Curry-led team, as well as their title hopes, and potential trade moves over the next two weeks.
Directly after the Butler injury,there were rumorsswirling of Golden Stateswitchingits trade focus from Jonathan Kuminga to the now-injured 36-year-old; however, according to Marc Spears of ESPN, that will not be the case.
Oh No He Didn't
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”
“Wedon’t see Butler getting traded,”he said on NBA Today. “One GM told me he says doubtful. Too much money…The thing with the Warriors isI’ve been told that theyhaven’t wanted to add salary.”
Spears added that the idea of Kumingabeing traded remains theteam’s focus, as according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, he demanded a trade from the franchise last week.
Jimmy Butler ACL Injury News
Though Butlerwas previously floated out as a trade candidate should Golden State entertain a big move like adding Giannis Antetokounmpo or another max contract player,Spears’ reporting indicatesthey’ll keep him on the roster at least past the February 5th NBA trade deadline.
Reports after the injuryhinted that Golden State would attempt to move off himdue to the fact that they could use him asempty money to send to a non-contending team, but that nowfeels off the table.
What is worse news on top of the Butler injury for the Warriors is that, according to Bobby Marks, the deadline for teams applying for an disabled player exception has now passed, meaning Golden State is unable to add a player to its roster amidButler’s absence.
If the injury had happened earlier in the year, the Warriors would have been able to make the injury exception to the league offices, like what the Milwaukee Bucks are attempting to do with Taurean Prince, and add another player in his place, but when the injury occurred, that is also out of the question for the Bay Area team.
According to Charania, Butler is also at risk of missing the start of next season. The typical injury recovery time for a torn ACL had dropped from the previous one-year mark, but with his age and the yet unknown severity of the injury, his staying out for a year remains on the table.
What Butler’s Injury Means For Warriors, Kuminga Trade Rumors
There have also been conflicting reports onKuminga’s future, as the Butler injury puts ahuge wrench in the Warriors’ trade plans for the 23-year-old.Charania, Spears, and others have hinted that Golden State still planson searching the trade market over the next two weeks to find a deal, but with hisdropping trade value and theteam’s need for a wing player, that could all change.
Speaking on NBA Today, Anthony Slater said the idea of Kuminga brushing off the dust from his month-long DNP and finally getting back on the court for the Warriorscan’t be ruled out.
Anthony Slater
NBA Today hit on the aftermath of the Jimmy Butler ACL tear.
The Warriors front office is just beginning to assess how it alters trade deadline plans.
Also: Cover your ears, Brian Windhorst. This could spark another chapter in the Jonathan Kuminga saga.
“I‘ve alreadybeen given indications that today they are exploring the idea of restarting the engines, entering Jonathan Kuminga potentially back into the rotation,”the insider said. “He will be ready if called upon.”
Slater added that, despite the reported ‘beyondrepair’ relationship between Kuminga and head coach Steve Kerr, the 23-year-old is ready to get back into the rotation if that iswhat’s asked of him.
When speaking about Kuminga, Kerr himself gave a telling two-word response on Monday night on whetherhe’ll get back into the rotation with Butler now out.
Sure. Absolutely,”Kerrtold reporters.
The Warriors’ entire next few years, let alone just this season, have been turned on their head withButler’s brutal ACL injury. What the future holds is uncertain, but Golden State will likely remain in the news until any changesare made.