After an excused absence from the Golden State Warriors’ preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers that was for a “positive reason,” Jimmy Butler will now also miss the Warriors’ next game at Portland
against the Trail Blazers, per Steve Kerr.
An ankle sprain that Butler suffered last Friday during practice — once thought to be minor — remains a little swollen. The hope is that Butler will return for the Warriors’ last preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.
However, it is also not out of the question that the Warriors will shelve Butler for the remainder of preseason to ensure that his ankle fully heals in time for the start of the regular season. At 36-years old, Butler isn’t exactly a spring chicken. The Warriors will need him as healthy as possible for the regular season gauntlet, especially with a roster whose rotation mainstays have had lots of mileage in their proverbial basketball odometer.
