Jimmy Butler Knee Injury Jolts Warriors

Merlin sees Jimmy Butler exit Monday night with a right knee injury, being helped off by Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga and ruled out for the rest of the game. He will undergo an MRI, and the timing is brutal: Butler averages 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 51.9 percent. With Draymond Green, Gui Santos and Kuminga already banged up, Golden State is suddenly thin at forward and Steph Curry may have to carry a much heavier offensive load as the Warriors sit 24 19 and eighth in the West. Merlin warns that knee issues have echoes that linger. If the MRI shows significant damage, Golden State’s margin for error shrinks fast and depth questions become a season-defining story. Expect the next few days to set the tone for a tense stretch of games.