Steve Kerr isn’t pretending Jimmy Butler’s return is right around the corner, but he’s not hiding the anticipation either.
The Golden State Warriors coach said the team is still a long way from figuring out how Butler will be folded back into the lineup, yet the idea of getting him back is already energizing the organization. Golden State entered the season with a simple goal: stay competitive until Butler could return and provide a lift. A 0-3 start made that plan look shaky, but the Warriors have steadied themselves and are now 5-3 heading into their matchup with the 3-5 Miami Heat.
Kerr pointed to the timeline and made it clear the wait is going to be measured in months, not days. Speaking to ESPN, he said: “We just kind of assumed it would be a year or so like most ACL’s and I think he got hurt late January if I’m not mistaken. We’re not even really close to thinking about what it’ll be like to implement him, but it’s exciting to at least envision it.
“Jimmy Butler’s one of the great winners in the game. He he has such an incredible competitive desire and physical strength and emotional dominance in a game. He’s only going to make us better.”
There’s reason for optimism around the current group too. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has given the Warriors a noticeable lift with both his production on the floor and the energy he brings off it.
But Butler’s track record is what keeps the bigger picture so intriguing. He changed Golden State’s season in 2024-25 after arriving from Miami, when the Warriors were sitting at 25-24. From there, they surged to a 23-10 finish over their final 33 games with Butler, closing the year at 48-34.
Replicating that kind of swing will be a tall order given the severity of the injury Butler is working back from. Still, Kerr’s message was plain: the wait may be long, but the upside is impossible to ignore.
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Jokics situation in Denver is worth watching because extension talks have been delayed, leaving open the possibility of free agency down the line. For the Warriors, the appeal is obvious: a player of that caliber would instantly change the ceiling around Stephen Curry and give the franchise a very different path back into title contention, even as the front office weighs how realistic it is to land a star of that magnitude. [Read more 🡒]