The Golden State Warriors have lost their championship hopes in the cruelest way possible.
Jimmy Butler, the six-time All-Star who Golden State acquired in a blockbuster move to pair with their aging core, has suffered a season-ending torn right ACL, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday.
Let me tell you, folks - this is devastating. Not just for the Warriors, but for the entire NBA. We were supposed to see Butler and Steph Curry in the playoffs together. We were supposed to see if this veteran-laden roster could make one more run at glory.
Instead, we get this.
The Warriors went all-in to bring Butler to the Bay Area, believing his two-way excellence and playoff pedigree were the missing pieces to return them to championship contention. Butler delivered on his end - until his body didn't.
An ACL tear typically requires 9-12 months of recovery, which means Butler will miss not just the rest of this season, but potentially the start of next season as well. At 36 years old, there are legitimate questions about whether he'll ever return to the same level.
For the Warriors, this is a gut punch they may not recover from. Curry is 37. Draymond Green is 35. Klay Thompson left in free agency. The window was already closing - now it might be slammed shut.
They mortgaged future assets to get Butler. They believed this was their shot. And in one terrible moment, it all came crashing down.
That's what makes sports so heartbreaking sometimes - you can do everything right, build the perfect team, and still have it all taken away by injury.
The Warriors will soldier on, because that's what competitors do. But make no mistake: their season, and maybe their dynasty's final chapter, just ended before it really began.
