Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler could return to action between January and February as he continues recovering from a torn right ACL, according to ESPN.
The 37-year-old suffered the injury on January 19 against the Miami Heat and has remained sidelined since then.
Before the injury, Butler was averaging 21.3 points on 53% shooting during January, providing Golden State with important offensive production.
His absence proved costly for the Warriors, who went 12-26 after losing him, finished the season with a 37-45 record and were eliminated in the second game of the play-in tournament.
Meanwhile, Moses Moody is progressing slightly faster in his recovery from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in late March.
Moody could return between December and January, although neither player has progressed beyond individual on-court workouts.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes Butler’s return could provide the team with a significant boost during the second half of the season.
“I’m almost looking at this like this could be the exact opposite of last season,” said Kerr. “We get Jimmy back around February instead of losing him in February. So, what’s our job?
“Lay the best foundation, best platform for success before that, that can put us in a good position where we’ve got momentum, and all of a sudden, we’re adding him with the playoffs coming a couple months later. I think the plan is there.”
