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Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler is out for the remainder of the 2025-2026 season after suffering a torn ACL, his agent confirmed.
Butler’s injury occurred in Monday night’s game against the Miami Heat.
It was a 135-112 victory for Golden State, but it came at a serious cost given Butler’s star status.
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Jimmy Butler III of the Golden State Warriors is helped off the court after colliding with Davion Mitchell #45 of the Miami Heat and injuring his knee in the third quarter at Chase Center on January 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, told ESPN the injury was a “gut punch” but remained optimistic moving forward for the 36-year-old.
“I firmly believe that this is part of the journey and we can’t expect to take only the good things out of it,” Lee told the outlet. “We’ve seen life happen to countless others and now it’s his turn to face this. That’s how life works.
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“I’ve known for over 10 years now that Jimmy will win a championship before he’s done. My belief in that is unwavering.”
Butler also wrote about his injury in a positive light despite the situation, saying in an Instagram post that he would be “back before you know it.”
Jimmy Butler III of the Golden State Warriors is looked on by Stephen Curry #30 and Quinten Post #21 after he collided with Davion Mitchell #45 of the Miami Heat and injured his knee during the third quarter at the Chase Center on January 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The injury occurred in the third quarter of Monday night’s Warriors-Heat game, when Butler caught a pass near the hoop but landed awkwardly on his right leg. He fell to the court immediately after contact, and although a foul was called, it did not come up.
Butler clutched his right knee, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called a timeout to check on his All-Star forward.
Butler screamed in pain, showing that the injury was quite serious. After some time, Butler was helped off the field by a couple of Warriors teammates and taken to the tunnel, where he could not put weight on his right leg.
“Praying for the best as far as scans go,” Warriors star Steph Curry said at the time.
This now marks a third significant knee injury for Butler, who had a meniscus tear in 2018 and an MCL sprain last season. And he had played well with the Warriors through 37 games this season, averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) he goes down with a knee injury in the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Chase Center on Jan. 19, 2026. (Kelley L Cox/Imagn Images)
The Warriors may need to make some moves if they want to push for another NBA title. They are 25-19 after Monday night’s win, which is eighth in the Western Conference.
