SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors guard Jimmy Butler had surgery Monday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that prematurely ended his season last month.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum in Los Angeles, and the team announced Butler will immediately begin a rehabilitation program, with a progress update anticipated early next season.
Coach Steve Kerr had not yet spoken with Butler, who will be immobilized for a period before potentially rejoining the team to observe from the bench before the season concludes. Rick Celebrini, Vice President of Player Health and Performance, accompanied Butler during the surgery.
“I’ve not talked to Jimmy today but I spoke with Bernie Lee, his agent, or texted with him and spoke with Rick Celebrini, he was there for the surgery,” Kerr said. “Everything went well and now the recovery begins.”
Butler sustained the injury during the third quarter of a win against his former team, the Miami Heat, on Jan. 19. The injury occurred moments after he caught a pass in the paint, colliding with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell—who was assessed a foul—and landing awkwardly.
The Warriors guard’s knee buckled upon impact, and he visibly grimaced, clutching at his knee for several minutes. Teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield assisted him off the court and toward the locker room. He was unable to bear weight on the injured leg.
Monday’s game against Memphis marked Butler’s 10th missed game, and the Warriors have struggled in his absence, posting a 3-6 record during that stretch.
Butler averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 31.1 minutes over 38 games played. He joined the Warriors last year in a trade that sent Andrew Wiggins to the Heat.
Kerr emphasized the importance of having Butler around, even during his recovery, noting that Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton recently underwent the same surgery and could offer support.
“I know he wants to be back with the group,” Kerr said. “He talked about that after the injury. Hopefully, we’ll see him soon. It’ll be great to have Jimmy here. He just gives everybody confidence. It’s a really hard thing to be out for a year. Melt had his ACL last year. It will be good for them to be together and Melt can help him a little bit. It’s always good to have players around when they’re injured, it just makes everything feel tighter and more together.”
