Warriors Share Positive Injury Update on Jimmy Butler for NBA Season
Head coach Steve Kerr offered an encouraging progress report as Golden State navigates a crowded injury list to start the 2026-27 season.
The Golden State Warriors officially kicked off their 2026-27 National Basketball Association regular season on Wednesday night, entering the new campaign with a heavily populated injury report. Among the primary concerns for the organization is veteran star Jimmy Butler, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury and expected to remain out until early in the new year.
Despite the absence and the lack of a definitive return date, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr provided an encouraging progress report regarding the veteran forward. Speaking about Butler's current condition, Kerr noted that the player appears to be moving in the right direction during his ongoing recovery process.
"He's doing great. I just talked to him this morning. He was in our weight room. He looks good. He feels good," Kerr stated, according to reporting by Logan Murdock of The Ringer.
For the Warriors, managing the roster through the early months of the season will require significant depth adjustments. Given the team's current lack of overall depth and talent outside of its core players, getting a fully healthy Butler back on the court as soon as safely possible remains a top priority for the franchise.
In addition to Butler's recovery, the Warriors are dealing with several other health hurdles to open the year. Teammate Moses Moody is also managing a knee issue and could potentially make his return to the lineup sometime in December.
Meanwhile, big man Kristaps Porzingis continues to be hampered by an ongoing health problem and illness. Recent reports have even surfaced indicating that Porzingis is being evaluated as a potential trade candidate while he deals with these persistent medical setbacks.
To compensate for the current absences in the frontcourt, the Warriors are expected to lean on players like Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg to step into starting roles. Additionally, veteran Draymond Green is slated to shift over to play center, with backing from Al Horford and key bench contributions from Georges Niang as the team works to stay competitive early in the season.