Report: Jimmy Butler III expected to return for Game 4

He’s back! Hopefully.

Even when Jimmy Butler III was ruled out for Saturday’s Game 3 between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets, optimism abounded that he’d be back on the court on Monday for Game 4. Butler reportedly felt pretty good and was ready to play on Saturday, but didn’t get the green light from head trainer Rick Celebrini. According to a report from The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Butler put in a serious on-court workout after the game. Steve Kerr tempered expectations by emphasizing that Butler was day-to-day and the Warriors wouldn’t know more until they saw how the star forward felt on Sunday and Monday, but everything was pointing in the right direction.

And that optimism now seems warranted. According to a Monday report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, “the Warriors and Jimmy Butler are expecting him to make his return tonight in Game 4.”

Charania, speaking during a live segment on NBA Today, noted that Butler “is doing everything possible to try to play,” and added that “today he was a full participant at shootaround.” While Charania pointed out that Butler may not be at 100%, he did add that “the mobility is getting there,” which is perhaps the main reason why Butler wasn’t cleared for Game 3.

Needless to say, Butler’s return would be a huge boost for the Dubs as they look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in an increasingly intense and chippy first-round series. We probably won’t know for sure if Butler can play until right before tipoff, but for now, everything is pointing in the right direction.

Update: Chris Haynes has since reported that Butler will, indeed, play.