Jimmy Butler made clear this week that he intends to finish his career with the Golden State Warriors. The forward delivered the comments at a sponsorship event in San Francisco alongside team ownership. He described the franchise as the best organization he has joined in his NBA journey and expressed gratitude for sharing the court with Stephen Curry.
The Warriors went 37-45 last season after Butler tore his right ACL on January 19 against Miami. Stephen Curry missed significant time as well, and the club missed the playoffs entirely. That injury on January 19 halted a promising start in which the group had looked like a Western Conference force with Butler, Curry and Draymond Green all available.
Butler is now roughly four months removed from ACL surgery. His recovery has moved ahead of schedule, and he expects to run at full speed within six weeks. That timeline points toward a midseason return that matches what the front office hoped for when he first went down. The medical staff led by director of medicine Rick Celebrini has built a reputation for guiding veterans through late-stage rehab with patience, and Butler said he trusts that process completely.
The competitive urgency remains. Butler wants to share the floor with Curry and Green for as many games as possible because the trio has rarely been healthy together when it matters. He noted that part of winning is simply staying healthy, and the early results before his injury showed exactly what this group can become when spacing, timing and availability align. Butler, Curry and Green can generate easy looks in the motion offense, stretch defenses with varied skill sets, and create advantages that only veteran IQ can unlock.
His expiring contract has fueled trade speculation throughout the recovery period. Yet Butler brushed past that possibility and emphasized his desire to stay. He believes a healthy version of this roster can return Golden State to contention. The 37-45 record stemmed directly from the absences of Butler and Curry rather than any larger structural problem with the supporting pieces.
A midseason integration window would still give the Warriors months to build chemistry before the playoffs arrive. If Butler, Curry and Green can log consistent minutes together, the ceiling jumps well above the disjointed team that limped through the second half of last season. Butler has made his stance plain: this is the place he wants to be done.
Golden State Warriors 
