Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler is not rushing his comeback, but he is making his rehab in Hawaii count. The 37-year-old suffered an ACL tear in February 2026 and underwent surgery shortly after. His return is not expected until around February 2027, per historical data.
Butler has stayed active at training camp in Laie, Hawaii, where the team is holding its preseason workouts. That activity includes more than just watching from the sidelines. He has been shooting layups, spinning a basketball on his finger, and wandering the perimeter of the floor during scrimmages. He even shot free throws for the team after one practice to keep them from having to run.
Leons Gets the Butler Treatment
Malevy Leons, a 27-year-old forward from the Netherlands who played JUCO ball in Park Hills, Mo., before joining the Warriors, has become Butler’s latest project. Last week in San Diego, during a players-only minicamp, Butler hosted teammates at his house and singled Leons out.
“He’s like, ‘Man, I’m trying to get my swag up. Jimmy talked to me about that,'” Santos recalled, describing Leons’ response to his confusion about why the young forward showed up in full NBA 2K MyPlayer-style regalia — blue arm sleeve on one arm, yellow on the other, black headband, white knee sleeves.
Leons cycled through those accessories throughout camp in Hawaii before taking everything off on the last day. The gesture was a playful nod to Butler’s influence, and it captured the spirit of the relationship.
Santos Learns From Butler
Gui Santos, a 24-year-old guard, is Butler’s understudy. He earned a three-year contract extension last February and will be counted on heavily to fill Butler’s void for much of the season. Santos has leaned on Butler’s game directly since the older forward went down.
“When he was playing, I was watching him playing, like, all the time,” Santos told the Chronicle on Thursday. “And that’s all he does — he’s always under control. Nobody speeds him up. Doesn’t matter how tall is the guy, how strong is the guy. Jimmy will get to the spot that he wants to get. He’s gonna take his time. He will either pass, like, find a great shot, or he will shoot it and make a good play.”
Santos has mirrored Butler’s approach in camp, and his teammates have noticed. “Definitely does that,” Leons said of Santos’ learnings from Butler. “Like, the two-foot stuff — he kind of uses the same stuff that Jimmy does, the multiple fakes Jimmy always does.”
Rehab Work With Celebrini and Rivas
Butler’s actual recovery schedule is methodical. Each morning in Hawaii, he comes to BYU’s gym to get shots up and do on-court work while coaches watch film before practice. Then comes rehab work.
There are no shortcuts and no medical miracles in his plan. The regimen was set forth by Warriors director of performance Rick Celebrini and longtime trainer Armando Rivas, who has followed Butler across every NBA stop he has ever had.
The One-On-One Challenge
Butler’s sense of humor has not faded during his absence. He went down a line of coaches at Friday’s practice and told them he would beat them all one-on-one.
“He was just shooting,” Leons said, “and he was like, ‘Oh, I’ll get buckets on you as well.'”
A Different Kind of Presence
Butler acknowledges the season ahead will be different. He will not always be on the road as he continues rehabbing.
“It’s never all bad,” Butler said at media day. “I’m not going to sit here and say it’s all good, either. But I think my main job is going to be like, ‘Hey, guys, I can’t go out there and play with you individuals, but that doesn’t mean that this is a bad day. I still get to be around y’all. I still get to call myself an NBA player.'”
Free Throws Save the Day
Butler shot free throws for the team after one practice to ensure they didn’t have to run. That small act spoke to his competitive nature.
| Event | Location |
|---|---|
| Minicamp | San Diego |
| Training camp | Laie, Hawaii |
| Surgery | February 2026 |
| Possible return | Around February 2027 |
Butler’s rehab is a slow grind, and he knows it. But he is staying active, working with Leons, and keeping his presence felt even when he cannot step on the floor.
The swag may be gone, but the influence remains.
Source material: “Warriors' Jimmy Butler has stayed active at training camp in Hawaii despite ACL rehab,” Yahoo Sports.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.