San Francisco — Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy expressed optimism that veteran swingman Jimmy Butler will remain a high-impact player once he recovers from a torn ACL suffered on Jan. 19.
“When Jimmy comes back, assuming we manage his minutes properly, I think he’ll still be very good,” Dunleavy said. “His biggest strengths are his basketball IQ and physicality, and those don’t disappear because of a knee injury.”
Butler, 36, averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists before the setback.
Lendeborg expects immediate role
First-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg said he anticipates meaningful minutes right away, noting head coach Steve Kerr’s roster needs.
“Coach doesn’t usually lean on rookies, but with the way the team looks, I have a real chance to play — maybe even start,” the lottery selection said.
Dunleavy added that Kerr pinpointed forward depth as the club’s biggest deficiency during pre-draft meetings, helping steer the front office toward Lendeborg.
Horford returns on two-year pact
Veteran center Al Horford, who declined a player option, agreed to a two-year, $14 million contract. The deal positions Horford to become the first Warrior to log minutes at age 40, while giving the team short-term frontcourt stability.
Iren lands record jersey sponsorship
The Warriors also struck a jersey patch agreement with AI cloud firm Iren worth more than $50 million annually, the highest per-year sponsorship in North American team sports. The company’s logo will appear on Warriors uniforms beginning next season.
Source: Hoops Rumors
