Jimmy Butler is targeting a potential January or February return from his right ACL recovery, but the Golden State Warriors forward still faces several rehabilitation checkpoints before he can resume full-contact basketball, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. Butler has gradually increased his on-court work this summer, while recent strength testing has shown notable progress.
The 36-year-old is not expected to participate in full-contact work when Warriors training camp opens next month. Instead, league sources told Slater that Butler is expected to be limited to individual court work and strength training as he continues his rehabilitation.
A January or February return would represent an optimistic timeline rather than a firm target. Butler still needs to receive clearance for increasingly demanding basketball activities, including contact, before the Warriors can determine when he is ready to play in games.
Golden State’s medical staff is also expected to take a cautious approach with Butler’s recovery. Slater noted that Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ lead medical decision-maker, is known for being conservative with return-to-play decisions, making Butler’s progress through each rehabilitation stage more important than any projected date.
Butler was an important offensive piece for Golden State before the injury. In 38 games during the 2025-26 regular season, he averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 31.1 minutes per game while shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range and 86.4% from the free-throw line.
His 20.0 points per game ranked second on the Warriors behind Stephen Curry, who averaged 26.6 points in 43 games. Butler also averaged 6.5 made free throws per game, giving Golden State a reliable source of offense at the line while maintaining a 55.4% effective field-goal percentage.
The Warriors will therefore have to manage their rotation without assuming Butler will be available early in the season. Brandin Podziemski played all 82 games in 2025-26 and averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while Moses Moody averaged 12.1 points and shot 40.1% from three across 60 appearances.
