Butler May Have Surgery, Hopes To Return For Playoffs

8:04pm: Butler will get a second opinion on his knee before committing to surgery, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. He will see another doctor tomorrow.

FEBRUARY 24, 6:57pm: Jimmy Butler plans to undergo surgery for his torn right meniscus and could be ready to play again in four to six weeks, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. A formal timetable for his return will be set after the operation.

Butler suffered the injury in Friday night’s game in Houston. X-rays came back negative, but an MRI conducted today showed the full scope of the damage. The Timberwolves put out a statement this afternoon calling it a “meniscal injury,” but it was later revealed to be a tear.

Since being acquired from the Bulls in an offseason trade, Butler has played a key role in Minnesota’s rise to the top of the Northwest Division, averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, while serving as the linchpin of the defense.

There are fewer than seven weeks remaining in the regular season, so Butler could return in time for the playoffs if everything goes well with the operation. Of course, qualifying without Butler won’t be easy. The Wolves, who in a 13-year playoff drought, are in fourth place in the West at 36-26, but are just one game ahead of the ninth-place Clippers in the loss column.