Jimmy Butler still away from team, out for next two games before Heat expects him to return
Amid ongoing trade speculation surrounding Jimmy Butler, he remains away from the Miami Heat.
Following the Heat’s 89-88 win over the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Thursday night to open a three-game trip, there was an expectation that Butler would meet the team in Orlando for its Friday afternoon flight in Atlanta.
But Butler remains in Miami going through his “return to competition reconditioning” process and will also miss the next two games, as the Heat continues its trip Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena (3 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun and NBA TV) before ending the trip on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
The Heat’s expectation is that Butler will rejoin the team when it returns to Miami. The Heat’s first home game following this trip is on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
With Butler ruled out for Saturday’s matchup against the Hawks and Sunday’s game against the Rockets, what started with what the team listed as a “stomach illness” and is now being listed as “return to competition reconditioning” will have kept him out for five straight games.
Butler has been dealing with a flu-like illness, according to a source close to the situation.
Butler has already missed eight of the Heat’s first 28 games this season. The Heat is 4-4 in those games, with Butler set to miss 10 of the Heat’s first 30 games by the end of the trip.
Butler has been at the center of trade speculation this month, with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting Wednesday that Butler prefers to be traded out of Miami.
In the wake of that report, Heat president Pat Riley issued a strong statement on Thursday to push back against all the trade noise.
“We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches,” Riley said in the statement. “Therefore, we will make it clear — we are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
Sources involved with Butler and the Heat both said that he has not formally requested a trade. But Butler’s relationship with the team has become somewhat strained in recent months.
According to multiple sources, Butler has been disappointed with the Heat primarily because Miami declined to give him a two-year, $113 million contract extension this past summer, a deal that would have run through the 2026-27 season. Butler was open to signing such a deal early in the negotiating window, but his mindset changed when the extension wasn’t immediately offered by the Heat.
The Heat could still offer Butler that extension until June 30, but Miami has given no indication that it will.
After the Heat did not quickly agree to an extension this past offseason, Butler decided to play out this season and exercise his option to become a free agent this upcoming summer. That remains his intention, sources said.
Butler has averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting a career-best 55.2 percent from the field in 20 games this season. He leads the Heat in most advanced metrics this season, including estimated plus/minus, win shares and box plus/minus.
But there has been nothing to suggest that a Butler trade is imminent and no indication that the Heat would cave to his preferences — even before Riley’s statement. The NBA’s trade deadline is Feb. 6.
INJURY REPORT
Along with missing Butler, the Heat will also be without Josh Richardson (right heel inflammation) and Dru Smith (left Achilles surgery) on Saturday against the Hawks in Atlanta.
Nikola Jovic is listed as questionable after re-aggravating his sprained left ankle during Thursday’s win over the Magic.
Pelle Larsson (sprained right ankle) and Terry Rozier (left knee inflammation) are probable to play.
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 1:46 PM.
