In the eight months since Jimmy Butler's right knee buckled during a hot streak in his 15th NBA season, his mood and memory of the injury have improved as his leg has slowly healed. He recalls the high-arcing pass from Brandin Podziemski, the moment Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell slid under him, and the shooting pain on the landing that drew an arena-silencing scream.
Speaking to ESPN after the Warriors' third training camp practice, Butler described lying face down on the hardwood while Buddy Hield shouted, "Get up, Jimmy! Get up! We need you!" Butler's reply, "No s---, Buddy," showed his humor even in the darkest moment. When he opened his eyes, he saw Stephen Curry standing over him. Curry said Butler is tough and tends to play down injuries, and that he could tell Butler was trying to cope.
Before the injury, the Warriors had gone 11-4 in a 15-game stretch, with Butler averaging 21 points, five rebounds and five assists. In his last game before the injury, he scored 32 points on 14-of-22 shooting against the eventual champion New York Knicks. Coach Steve Kerr said that once Butler went down, the team's championship hopes were effectively gone.
General manager Mike Dunleavy still views Butler as essential to the next few years, even though the market sees an injured Butler on an expiring $56.8 million deal as a negative asset. Team sources said the Warriors refused to trade Butler for Anthony Davis or Jaylen Brown this summer, and other Butler-plus-picks offers were rejected. The team now sits near the bottom of the Western Conference, and much of the conversation about its future centers on whether Butler, who just turned 37, can revive its hopes after ACL rehab.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing