Warriors predicted to sign $305M 17-year veteran, 6-time All-Star amid Jimmy Butler's ACL recovery

The Golden State Warriors have made it clear they are fully pursuing LeBron James this offseason. However, they also have to manage the rest of their roster, especially with Jimmy Butler expected to miss part of the upcoming season.

Butler suffered a devastating knee injury last season against his former team, the Miami Heat, tearing his ACL.

“Injured Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler underwent successful surgery on his torn right ACL on Monday morning in Los Angeles, the team announced,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater wrote. “Butler suffered the injury on Jan. 19 in a win over the Miami Heat. He consulted several specialists for the surgery, landing on Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, who performed it on Monday morning with a few members of the Warriors' organization on hand.”

A few weeks ago, Butler provided an update on his recovery. However, there is still no exact timetable for his return to the court.

“Butler estimated that he is still around six weeks from full-speed running and said, while he is capable of jumping off his left leg and dunking, he is not yet able to put the weight of that landing on his right leg. So there are several months of rehab and several significant checkpoints ahead before a return date can be plotted,” Slater wrote.

Until Butler returns, someone will have to fill the void. Sports Illustrated’s Joey Akeley believes the Warriors should sign DeMar DeRozan to help bridge the gap until Butler is back.

“My concern with adding DeRozan is Steve Kerr could treat him as a starter, which will stunt the development of Gui Santos. But if the Warriors treat DeRozan as a microwave scorer off the bench whose role will be greatly diminished when Jimmy Butler returns, then he's definitely worth a minimum contract. DeRozan would be a great piece to have during the non-Curry minutes. He could be the team's go-to second-unit option,” Akeley wrote.

DeRozan is widely viewed as a future Hall of Famer based on the career he has put together. While he remains an effective offensive player, his defense is no longer at the same level it once was.

The 17-year veteran has earned more than $305 million in career contracts. Golden State appears to be a strong fit for DeRozan, especially with its veteran core. He could step into the starting lineup while Butler continues his recovery before transitioning into a valuable bench role once Butler returns.

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