Moses Moody (rupture of the tendon of the left patella) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL) won’t be available to start the season, but Warriors remain optimistic about their return by the beginning of 2027, he writes ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
According to Slater, Moody, who described his injury as a “best case scenario” tear since it was a pure bone break, is considered to be ahead of Butler in their rehab and is likely to return first. The current thinking, Slater says, is that Moody could return in December or January, while Butler could play in January or February.
“I know (exact target date)” Butler told ESPN, smiling. “We know. You’ll just know when you know.”
As Slater reports in a detailed story on Butler and the Warriors, the front office would likely be willing to part ways with Butler in 2026 if Milwaukee accepted his offer Yannis Antecumpabut the veteran wing has not been offered in a deal since recovering from a torn ACL. According to Slater, Golden State had no interest in the pursuit Anthony Davis or Jaylen Brown during the offseason and all other Butler-plus-Draft-Picks scenarios were “closed.”
The Warriors were 25-19 last season when Butler tore his ACL, then went 12-26 the rest of the way. Head coach Steve Kerr hopes the team can reverse that trend this year by staying above water for the first half and then finishing strong as the lineup gets healthier.
“I almost look at it like it could be the exact opposite of last season,” Kerr said. “We get Jimmy back around February instead of losing him in February. So what’s our job? Lay the best foundation, the best platform for success before that, that can put us in a good position where we have momentum and all of a sudden we add him and the playoffs come in a couple of months. I think the plan is there.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Butler is on a $56.8 million deal that runs through 2026/27 and will be eligible for an extension on February 6, but he told Slater he is not thinking about his contract situation at the moment. “I don’t pay attention to it” Butler said. “My job is to go out there and make the hoop. You’ve got to talk to (agent) Bernie Lee, you’ve got to talk to (Warriors general manager) Mike Dunleavywho else specializes in this aspect. My job is to help us win, compete at a high level and be the best leader, teammate, vet for these young guys. This is what I control. So that’s something I control.”
- Hints at the team’s plans to manage Stephen CurryGiven the workload for next season, Kerr advised fans purchasing tickets for the Warriors star to be careful when choosing a game that is part of a back-to-back set, as Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area relay. “We have fans buying tickets waiting to see Steph,” Kerr told reporters on Thursday. “Usually Steph, sometimes other players. People are waiting to see the vets. And then we have a meeting and we don’t play him. I’d just come out and tell the fans to pay attention (to the schedule) when you’re buying tickets because we’ve got not only Steph but some vets that we’re going to try to handle because that’s the only way we can do it.”
- A great man Charles Bassey lived out of a suitcase as he signed 10-day contracts with four different NBA teams last season. As he tells Joseph Dykus of The San Jose Mercury News (subscription required) despite his contract with Golden State not being fully guaranteed, Bessie was relieved to earn an NBA roster spot to open the 2026-27 campaign. “There were a lot of 10-day contracts,” he said. “I just stuck with it and kept going and knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.”
- Pratam Valuri of NBC Sports Bay Area highlights the “cousin” connection that former high school – and current Golden State – teammates Brandon Williams and De’Anthony Melton share.
