Jimmy Butler plans to play for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League as the final step of his recovery from a right knee anterior cruciate ligament tear sustained in January.
“I will clearly play down there,” Butler said, according to a report by Basket USA.
“You probably won’t get many minutes from me, but I’ll go, for sure. I want to play basketball. […] I’m going to Santa Cruz to play. It might not last long, but I’m going to do it and play a damn game.”
While Stephen Curry practiced with Santa Cruz in 2020 and Serge Ibaka appeared in four G League games in 2021, no active star of Butler’s stature has ever played a regular-season contest in the developmental league. The six-time All-Star has not yet received a precise return date for the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr voiced strong support for Butler’s proposal, drawing a direct comparison to Major League Baseball rehabilitation assignments.
“I love the idea. Because I love it,” Kerr told Basket USA.
“It’s funny, because I’ve always thought about it as a baseball fan. Over there, you see guys go to the minor leagues all the time to get their legs back under them after an injury and play a few games. It makes sense, but I’ve never really seen an NBA star go through the G League. Has that ever happened?”
Kerr added that many players sharing Butler’s resume possess too much pride for a minor-league stint. The coach also promised to attend the appearance in person if the NBA schedule permits.
“I’ll be there. If we don’t have a game scheduled, I’ll make the trip. For sure,” Kerr told Basket USA.
Butler said that the idea materialized after he read an Instagram statistic stating that roughly 275 current NBA players boast prior G League experience.
Securing approval means convincing Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy, Butler’s former teammate with the Chicago Bulls. Butler addressed the impending organizational discussion with characteristic humor.
“I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission. I’ll go and we’ll throw hands with Mike if we have to,” Butler told Basket USA.
“He’ll tell me, ‘Jimmy, no,’ and I’ll answer, ‘Yes, Mike. I’m going to the G League!’”
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