Butler says – Jimmy Butler told ESPN’s Anthony Slater he feels like his old self again during his ACL recovery, expecting to be ready for the Golden State Warriors’ 2026-27 regular season. With the Warriors also extending Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford and adding Yaxel L
When Jimmy Butler talks about his ACL recovery, the Warriors hear something they’ve needed to hear for a long time: clarity that his timing is coming back.
The Golden State forward says he feels like his old self again for the first time in a while and expects to be ready for the Warriors’ upcoming regular season. “I’m right back to who I’ve always been,” Butler told ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “Probably better if we was to really talk about it. I know I’m still going to be a top player whenever I get back. I have a couple good years left in me, and we’re going to ride it until the wheels fall off.”.
For Golden State, the message lands amid a roster build that’s designed to keep a window open. The Warriors agreed to terms on contract extensions for centers Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford—two key catalysts of the Boston Celtics’ championship run in 2024. At the same time. they drafted Yaxel Lendeborg. who is projected to be one of the more NBA-ready rookies this season.
Butler’s optimism also comes with a specific timeline that matters to Warriors fans watching the calendar more than the highlight reels. In his recovery from an ACL injury and with the expectation that the 2026-27 season will be where he returns to full rhythm. Butler is hoping for more than just basketball activity—he wants the team back down near his San Diego home before training camp.
Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported that Butler is “doing well in his rehab,” and that he is “about a month and a half away from running again.” Friedell added that Butler is “hoping to have the team back down to his San Diego area home before training camp starts again.”
The Warriors’ preparation won’t wait for Butler to be fully cleared. Their offseason begins with basketball that’s already on the books: rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and the Warriors will start their summer league schedule in July.
Those movements—Butler targeting a return, the team locking in Porzingis and Al Horford, and adding Lendeborg with summer league on the horizon—add up to one clear feeling inside the franchise: Golden State is trying to line up the season with its bodies, not just its plans.
Jimmy Butler Warriors ACL recovery 2026-27 season Anthony Slater Kristaps Porzingis Al Horford Yaxel Lendeborg summer league San Diego home