Butler (ankle) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Pistons, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Butler will miss a second straight game due to a right ankle sprain. Haywood Highsmith and Kevin Love started at the forward spots during Sunday's win over Minnesota, but Jaime Jaquez, Pelle Larsson and Duncan Robinson are also candidates for increased roles until Butler is cleared to return. Butler's next chance to suit up will come Friday in Indiana.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Ruled out against Minnesota
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Butler (ankle) won't play in Sunday's game versus the TImberwolves, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Butler will miss his first game of the season Sunday due to a sprained right ankle he suffered against Denver. In the star forward's absence, Jaime Jaquez (illness), Haywood Highsmith, Pelle Larsson and Duncan Robinson are all candidates to receive increased playing time. Butler's next chance to suit up is Tuesday's matchup with Detroit.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Won't return Friday
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Butler won't return to Friday's game against the Nuggets due to a right ankle sprain, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
The star forward will end the contest with two points (1-2 FG), one rebound and two assists in seven assists after he suffered the injury while attempting to drive past Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in the first quarter. After evaluating Butler in the locker room, the Heat quickly ruled him out for the remainder of the contest. Head coach Erik Spoelstra could provide more details on Butler's injury after the game, but for now, the 35-year-old can be viewed as day-to-day heading into Sunday's contest in Minnesota.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Heads to locker room
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Butler left Friday's game versus the Nuggets, and he headed to the locker room after tweaking his ankle, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
The severity of Butler's ankle injury is unknown at this time. While he is sidelined, Duncan Robinson is the prime candidate to absorb his minutes. The veteran wing accumulated two points (1-2 FG), one rebound and two assists before heading to the locker room.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Scores season-high 27 points
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Butler had 27 points (9-19 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 8-11 FT), two rebounds, six assists and two steals across 36 minutes during Monday's 111-110 loss to Sacramento.
Butler has endured a rough start to the season from a scoring perspective, but he bounced back admirably Monday and delivered a solid stat line. The veteran forward seems to be shaking off some of the early-season rust and has now scored over 20 points in three of his last five appearances.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Drops 18 points Saturday
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Butler provided 18 points (6-13 FG, 6-8 FT), eight rebounds and four assists across 31 minutes during Saturday's 118-98 win over Washington.
Butler finished Saturday's contest as the Heat's second-leading scorer behind Bam Adebayo (34). Butler is attempting just 11.2 field goals per game -- his lowest since the 2013-14 regular season with the Bulls -- but he's shooting an efficient 48.2 percent from the field and is averaging 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals over 33.0 minutes per contest.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Efficient in low-scoring effort
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Butler finished with 15 points (6-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two steals over 37 minutes during Wednesday's 116-107 loss to New York.
Butler had a rough showing in the season with a three-point performance (1-8 FG) in the loss to the Magic on Oct. 23, and while he responded with two straight games with at least 20 points, he had another low-scoring effort Wednesday. Even if his scoring numbers haven't been as good as in previous years, Butler is improving in the efficiency department. Excluding the dud in the season opener, Butler is shooting 57.1 percent from the field while attempting 11.7 shots per game, so he's trending in the right direction even if the scoring numbers aren't backing that up.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Leads Miami to win
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Butler supplied 23 points (7-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 9-11 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and four steals across 34 minutes during Monday's 106-98 win over the Pistons.
Miami picked up their second straight win with Butler leading the team in scoring. Butler had a horrendous three-point dud on Opening Night, but he has responded with two strong games in a row. In that span, he produced averages of 24.5 points, 7.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Bounces back with all-around outing
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Butler ended with 26 points (7-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 11-17 FT), eight rebounds, eight assists, one block and two steals in 37 minutes during Saturday's 114-106 win over the Hornets.
Butler's three-point performance in the season-opening loss to the Magic probably worried some fantasy managers, but the veteran bounced back in a big way versus Charlotte. He did most of his work at the free-throw line, but his 11-for-17 mark did more harm than good in category leagues. However, Butler has shot above 85 percent from the charity stripe in four straight seasons, so Saturday's effort looks like an outlier for now.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Ineffective in defeat
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Butler recorded three points (1-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 26 minutes during Wednesday's 116-97 loss to the Magic.
Butler struggled to find the bottom of the basket and looked out of sorts in the opener. He only turned the ball over once and is seemingly 100 percent healthy, so his result was a bit surprising. Butler's biggest flaw is his durability. The highest attendance he's achieved recently was in 2016 when he played 76 games with Chicago.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Starting season opener
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Butler is part of the first unit for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Magic.
Butler will kick off his sixth season in Miami on Wednesday, and he'll be joined by Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Bam Adebayo in the first unit. Butler averaged 30.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals across 34.0 minutes per game last season.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Set to play Wednesday
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Butler (rest) is available for Wednesday's game versus the Magic.
Butler will return to action for Miami's regular-season opener after sitting out the preseason finale for rest purposes. Butler will almost certainly reclaim his starting spot from Haywood Highsmith.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Sitting out preseason finale
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Butler won't play in Friday's preseason game versus the Grizzlies, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Butler hasn't suffered any injury but will sit out Friday's preseason finale alongside most of Miami's regulars. The star forward should be good to go for the Heat's regular-season opener against Orlando on Oct. 23.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Leading scorer Wednesday
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Butler logged 24 points (8-11 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 6-8 FT), five rebounds, three assists and three steals over 21 minutes in Wednesday's 120-111 preseason win over the Hawks.
Despite the Heat playing the second game of a back-to-back, Butler and the rest of the starters each played 20-plus minutes Wednesday. It didn't seem to bother him, as he led both teams in scoring in an efficient manner. Butler was unable to play in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after suffering a right MCL sprain during the Heat's Play-In Game loss to the 76ers last year, but he was cleared to participate in training camp without restrictions. Butler just turned 35, and his health during the 2024-25 campaign will be worth monitoring as he's missed at least 20 regular-season games in three of the last four years.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Full go for camp
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Butler (knee) will be a full go for training camp this week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
Butler suffered a right MCL sprain during Miami's Play-In Game loss to the 76ers, but he had a healthy offseason for the most part. Butler's durability has been a major red flag for fantasy managers, as he's missed 20 or more regular-season games three times in the past four seasons. He's been challenged by Pat Riley to get back on track, however, and Butler made it clear that he's up to the task.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Out several weeks with MCL sprain
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The Heat announced Thursday that Butler has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will miss several weeks, Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reports.
Butler suffered his right knee injury late in the first quarter of Wednesday's Play-In Game loss to the 76ers, but he remained in the game down the stretch despite a limp. However, the injury is significant enough to sideline him for multiple weeks, so even if the Heat take down the Bulls on Friday, it seems unlikely that Butler will be in the mix to return during a first-round series against Boston. Jaime Jaquez will likely take on a starting role in Butler's absence, while Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could also see additional playing time.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Facing multi-week absence
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Butler is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after sustaining an MCL injury to his right knee Wednesday in the Heat's 105-104 loss to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Butler sustained the injury in the final minute of the first quarter, and while he remained in the game, he was clearly operating at well below full strength and ultimately finished with 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, five steals and four rebounds in 40 minutes. The Heat will send Butler in for an MRI on Thursday before providing an updated diagnosis of his injury, but the 34-year-old looks safe to count out for Friday's Play-In Tournament matchup with the Bulls, and quite likely, the first round of the playoffs if Miami should advance. Jaime Jaquez has regularly picked up starts when Butler missed time during the regular season, and the rookie first-round pick as well as Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could all benefit from added minutes Friday.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Dealing with possible MCL injury
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Butler is feared to have sustained an MCL injury in his right knee, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Butler finished out Wednesday's Play-In Tournament game against the 76ers despite sporting a limp in his right leg. While he was reported to be undergoing an MRI on Thursday, Butler's injury could be more serious than initially expected. If it ends up being an MCL injury, it's highly unlikely that Butler will be able to play in Friday's Play-In elimination game. In that scenario, Jaime Jaquez, Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin would likely see more minutes.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Undergoing MRI on knee
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Butler will have an MRI on Thursday after sustaining a right knee injury during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Tournament loss to the 76ers, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. He played 40 minutes and generated 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, four rebounds and five steals.
Butler appeared to tweak his knee late in the first quarter after being fouled but remained in the game at less than 100 percent, sporting a noticeable limp at times. Butler was seen wearing a protective knee sleeve post-game and will have more testing done Thursday. The Heat will play in a win-or-go-home matchup Friday night, giving Butler very little time to heal. We should know more about the severity of the injury once the MRI results come back.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Scores 14 with seven dimes Friday
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Butler finished Friday's 125-103 win over Toronto with 14 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes.
Over the last few weeks, Butler hasn't been able to fill the stat sheet and deliver the elite scoring numbers fantasy managers have become accustomed to him producing, but he continues to be a valuable asset due to his all-around contributions. Butler has failed to reach the 20-point mark in five of his last nine appearances, but he's still averaging 18.0 points, 5.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in that stretch.
