Key facts
- Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January 2026; some reports say he may not return until 2027
- Klay Thompson missed nearly two seasons after tearing his ACL, then Achilles during rehab, returning in January 2022
- In his 2022 return, Thompson shot 38.5% from three (then a career worst) and ranked 8th on the team in plus-minus over his final 43 games; Warriors still won the title, their 4th in 8 years
- Golden State has 7 players over age 30 heading into 2026-27
- Offseason moves: re-signed Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Gary Payton II; drafted rookie Yaxel Lendeborg; no other outside additions
- Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski expected to take on bigger roles while Butler is out
Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January 2026 and is expected to miss the start of the Golden State Warriors’ 2026-27 season, with some reports indicating he may not return until 2027. Unlike Klay Thompson’s 2022 comeback from a torn ACL and torn Achilles, Butler is rejoining a roster the front office itself has framed as being in a transitional “gap year” rather than a championship-ready team.
How this compares to Klay Thompson’s return
Thompson missed close to two full seasons after tearing his ACL and then his Achilles during rehab, one of the longer injury absences of his career. When he finally returned in January 2022, Golden State was sitting atop the Western Conference alongside Phoenix, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green healthy and championship-level depth already in place. That cushion let the team absorb a rough shooting stretch from Thompson, who shot a then career-worst 38.5 percent from three-point range and ranked only eighth on the team in plus-minus over his final 43 games that season. Golden State still went on to win the championship, its fourth in eight years. Both Yahoo Sports and Sporting News frame Butler’s situation as lacking that same safety net.
The Warriors’ offseason approach
According to Sporting News, longtime insider Monte Poole reported that Golden State fans had been told the 2026-27 season was shaping up as a “gap year,” with the offseason focused on internal development rather than bringing in outside talent, and no notable additions arriving in July. GM Mike Dunleavy said in May that the top priority was taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers, rather than promising external reinforcements for when Butler returns.
Roster makeup and who carries the load
Golden State enters the season with seven players over 30 years old, an aging core with limited flexibility to retool during the year. Instead of pursuing outside additions, the front office largely retained last season’s roster, re-signing Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Gary Payton II, and adding only rookie Yaxel Lendeborg through the draft. With Butler out, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski are expected to take on larger roles. There is also ongoing speculation, per Sporting News, linking the Warriors to a $73 million six-time All-Star who could eventually play alongside Curry, though no such move has been made.
What it means going forward
Both outlets raise the same underlying question: whether an aging, Curry-centered roster can get through roughly half a season without Butler and still have enough left to build on once he’s back, unlike the deep, healthy team that absorbed Thompson’s uneven return in 2022.
Sources
Featured photo: Jacob Gaertner via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)