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Jimmy Butler Expected To Start For Heat On Friday

January 17th, 2025 at 5:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Having finished serving his team-imposed seven-game suspension, Jimmy Butler will make his return on Friday when the Heat host the Nuggets in Miami, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that the star forward is expected to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.

Given how messy the standoff between the two sides had gotten, with Butler requesting a trade and Miami suspending him for conduct detrimental to the team, there had been some skepticism that the 35-year-old would play another game for the Heat. However, reports throughout the week had suggested that both the Heat and Butler were preparing for this scenario

The Heat don’t have many good paths forward outside of reintegrating Butler. They reportedly haven’t come close to receiving a viable trade offer and would face significant push-back from the NBPA if they tried to suspend him again. Sending Butler home while he continues to collect pay checks reportedly isn’t an option that appeals to management — it would also likely violate the NBA’s player participation policy.

Agent Bernie Lee issued a tongue-in-cheek press release on Twitter on behalf of Butler moments ago, stating, “I’m back,” a reference to Michael Jordan‘s statement via agent David Falk when Jordan made his NBA comeback in 1995.

The last time Butler returned from a multi-game absence amid trade rumors was on January 1, when he played vs. New Orleans after missing five games due to a minor ankle injury and an illness. He didn’t look fully engaged in that outing or during a Jan. 2 game vs. Indiana, frequently standing in the corner on offense without the ball in his hands, though he and his camp later strongly pushed back against the implication that he wasn’t playing his hardest.

Butler’s trade request was reported shortly after the Jan. 2 game, with the Heat announcing his suspension the following day.

Within an in-depth report on the Butler situation earlier today, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said that the Heat were “fully prepared” for the six-time All-Star to play on Friday, but added that there was a “palpable dread at what he might do and the environment the ongoing chaos might create.”

Obviously, it’s worth keeping a close eye on how Butler’s return plays out to see whether he and the Heat can get through the night without any further drama.

Mavs Reportedly Seek Impact Perimeter Defender, Make Gafford Available

January 17th, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks, who remain on the look for an impact perimeter defender, have dangled center Daniel Gafford in those talks, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic.

Clark first reported at the start of the month that Dallas was exploring the idea of pursuing a player who could upgrade the club’s perimeter defense. He mentioned Pelicans forward Herbert Jones at that time, but acknowledged that New Orleans was unlikely to move him.

Jones is now out indefinitely with a shoulder ailment, but prior to that injury, the Pelicans’ asking price for him was “extraordinarily high,” according to Clark, who doesn’t identify any other specific players the Mavs may be eyeing, noting that the options available on the trade market for a needle-moving impact defender may be limited.

Still, Clark’s suggestion that Dallas is open to making Gafford available is noteworthy. The Mavs gave up a late 2024 first-round pick for the veteran big man at last season’s deadline and he helped the team make a run to the NBA Finals, starting all 21 playoff games in the spring.

As effective as Gafford has been since arriving in Dallas, he’s essentially a backup center, averaging a modest 20.0 minutes per game this season as he has taken a back seat to rising second-year big man Dereck Lively. Gafford is contributing 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per night, with a .706 FG%. The Mavs have a -2.0 net rating in his minutes, compared to a +8.1 mark when Lively is on the floor.

It’s also worth mentioning that if Dallas needs to aggregate contracts to acquire a player earning $20MM or more, Gafford’s $13.4MM cap hit could be useful. Outside of Maxi Kleber ($11MM), every other Maverick earning above $4MM is a regular part of the rotation when healthy.

Gafford is under contract for one season beyond 2024/25, with a $14.4MM guaranteed salary for ’25/26. He’s currently back in the Mavs’ starting lineup while Lively recovers a right ankle sprain, which will sideline him again on Friday vs. Oklahoma City.

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Injuries, Drummond, George, Draft Pick

January 17th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

With Caleb Martin and KJ Martin sidelined because of injuries, the Sixers‘ forward depth was thin on Wednesday against New York. Kelly Oubre Jr. slid from shooting guard to power forward, delivering with 16 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block. While Oubre and Sixers fell for their seventh time in nine games, Oubre’s defensive intensity stood out, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“It’s just kind of getting back to the basics,” Oubre said. “I could speak for myself, like it’s bread and butter for me. If things around me are out of control, then I know I can focus on my energy and my effort on the defensive end.”

Oubre’s had a tremendous defensive season, ranking second in the league in deflections and tied for 14th in steals per game. The Sixers pushed the Knicks to overtime with Oubre’s defensive help. Oubre has a player option worth roughly $8.38MM for next season.

We have more from the Sixers:

None of Paul George, Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry or KJ Martin practiced for the Sixers on Friday, per Pompey (Twitter link). However, Caleb Martin was a partial participant and Andre Drummond practiced fully after missing the last six games due to injury. In a separate post (Twitter link), Pompey reports that coach Nick Nurse said he has high hopes for Drummond playing Saturday against Indiana. Drummond is listed as probable for that game.
The Sixers need George to step up without Embiid, Zach Powell and Jared Weiss of The Athletic write. Philadelphia has obviously been worse off without their superstar in Embiid, but if they hope to make a run to the play-in, let alone the playoffs, George will need to play at a high level. It’s an opportunity for George to prove his star quality and the Sixers’ faith in him, Powell and Weiss write.
With the Sixers on the outside looking in for the postseason, Fred Katz of The Athletic sends a reminder that they owe their first-round pick to the Thunder if it lands outside the top six. The Sixers currently have the eighth-highest odds for the No. 1 overall pick. With that in mind, Katz ponders whether the Sixers could do what the Mavericks did in 2023, when they fell out of the playoffs and thus, kept their top-10 protected pick, landing a Finals contributor in Dereck Lively II. This time without Embiid ahead of the trade deadline will not only reveal their plans for February, but potentially for the draft as well.

Central Notes: Bulls, Mobley, Sheppard, Nesmith

January 17th, 2025 at 1:25pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bulls‘ Wednesday loss to the shorthanded Hawks culminated in a team meeting, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. Their loss to Atlanta encapsulated everything that’s gone wrong this season, including turnovers, poor shooting and being out-rebounded.

“We focus on the wrong things,” center Nikola Vučević said. “We have to understand that it’s the details that make the difference at this level.”

This all culminates with the Bulls being in a familiar place as they have been the past few seasons. At 18-23, they just missed out on having the same record at this point in the season for the fourth time in five seasons. Chicago was 19-22 in three of the past four years.

According to Mayberry, questions are swirling about the team’s February plans, as they haven’t made a deadline deal in each of the last three years.

We have more from the Central Division:

Cavaliers center Evan Mobley is enjoying a career year, which has included extending his range and efficiency beyond the arc, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. He’s shooting a career-high 42.1% from three on more than double the amount of attempts per game in his previous best year from distance. “I don’t know what his work routine looked like (last season), I have no idea,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “But what I see right now is that a big part of his player-development plan and on-court work is dedicated to the 3-point shot. And then with that three-point shooting comes close-out offense … [defenses] start to close out [on Mobley].“
After missing 14 games due to an injury, Pacers wing Ben Sheppard is back in Rick Carlisle‘s rotation for the Pacers. “Once he’s been back healthy, the thing that we love about him is he plays the same way,” Carlisle said in a feature about Sheppard by RG’s Spencer Davies. “He plays fast, he goes hard, he’s very conscientious defensively. Offensively, he runs, moves the ball and plays to his strengths. So he’s a guy that’s important to us.”
Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith missed 35 games this year with an ankle injury, but he picked up right where he left off in a double-digit win over the Pistons, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes. “He’s going to go out there and try to rebound everything and be a menace out there,” teammate Myles Turner said. In his return game, Nesmith scored nine points in as many minutes as a starter.

And-Ones: All-Star Voting, New Leagues, Midseason Awards

January 17th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

The third update on fan voting for the All-Star Game has Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Kevin Durant heading the list of Western Conference frontcourt players, NBA Communications tweets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic have received the most votes among Western Conference backcourt players. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns are the top three vote-getters among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, while LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard have the most votes among the conference’s backcourt players.

The fan vote counts for 50 percent regarding All-Star starters. Player voting and a media panel’s selections are weighed at 25 percent apiece. Fan voting ends Monday and the All-Star starters will be revealed on Thursday during a TNT broadcast.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Will a new basketball league to challenge the NBA come to fruition? According to Bloomberg.com, a group of investors being advised by Maverick Carter, James’ business partner, is seeking to raise $5 billion from private capital sources to form an international basketball league. James himself is not part of the efforts to form this new league, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The investors, which includes multiple private equity funds, is looking to form a league consisting of six men’s teams and six women’s teams playing games around the world, Charania adds.
Speaking of international games, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast that discussions have been held regarding a new European league, Eurohoops relays. “One of the things we’ve been discussing is whether, before adding NBA franchises in Europe, there’s an opportunity to create an independent league there. This could leverage the enormous interest in basketball in major European capitals like Paris, London, Berlin, and Madrid— and other major cities that love basketball,” Silver said. Discussions between the NBA and FIBA regarding the proposed league have previously been reported.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and Liam McKeone hand out their midseason awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year. Mannix chooses Gilgeous-Alexander as his midseason MVP, while McKeone selects Jokic. They also take a look at the highs and lows of the season.

Embiid Has Swollen Knee, Out At Least 7-10 Days

January 17th, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid‘s injury issues continue to pile up.

The Sixers star center experienced increased swelling in his left knee during an on-court workout on Thursday, according to a team press release. The 2023 league’s Most Valuable Player will miss the team’s upcoming road trip and be reevaluated in approximately 7-10 days.

Embiid has missed the last six games due to a left foot sprain. The foot sprain has healed, according to the release. After consulting with team medical staff and external doctors, Embiid will receive treatment in the coming days to address the knee swelling.

After seeing action in only 39 regular season games last season due to a variety of ailments, Embiid has appeared in just 13 games this season. He’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest, a sharp drop from last season when he posted averages of 34.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.6 APG.

Following what was considered a highly successful offseason that reshaped the roster, the Sixers are enduring what increasingly appears like a lost season. They’re 15-24 after losing their last four games and now face a tough stretch with road matchups against Indiana, Milwaukee and Denver before returning home to face the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.

Embiid signed a three-year, fully guaranteed maximum-salary extension in September that runs through the 2028/29 season.

Cavaliers Interested In Nets’ Cameron Johnson

January 17th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in acquiring forward Cameron Johnson from the Nets, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.

Cleveland’s front office has at least discussed Johnson as a potential target and inquired about his availability. Some rival team officials believe Cleveland will make a serious run at acquiring Johnson, Vardon adds.

The Nets have already dealt away Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in their zeal to open up cap space and pile up draft assets. Johnson, who has been battling an ankle injury in recent weeks, might be their most valuable remaining asset. He’s averaging a career-best 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33 starts. Johnson is also shooting a career-high 49.9 percent from the field, including 42.8 percent beyond the arc.

Johnson is in the second year of a four-year contract that includes $90MM in guaranteed salary and $18MM in incentives. The Cavaliers’ desire to acquire Johnson is tempered by the fact that the Eastern Conference leaders lack draft capital and do not want to move any of their top eight players. While they do have plenty of second-round picks to dangle, the Cavs can’t deal any of their first-rounders earlier than the 2031 draft.

Caris LeVert‘s expiring $16.6MM contract would be a logical piece to include in a proposed deal with a rebuilding team, though he’s averaging 11.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in a reserve role.

Cleveland has been searching for a starting small forward for several seasons. Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro have received the bulk of the starts at that position. Wade might be more suited to a backup power forward role, Vardon notes, and Okoro has been unable to establish himself as a consistent starter since he was drafted in the 2020 lottery.

The Cavs have the top-rated offense in the league but they have one of the NBA’s smallest backcourts. Their 134-114 loss to the Thunder on Thursday was an example of how opponents with length on the perimeter can hold them down. The playoffs tend to be slower, more halfcourt-oriented slugfests and Johnson could help them in that area.

Members Of Heat Organization Fear Jimmy Butler Situation Could Get Uglier

January 17th, 2025 at 8:17am CST by Dana Gauruder

Members of the Heat organization, including players, coaches and staffers, have grown weary of Jimmy Butler‘s feud with the front office and it’s feared that the situation could get even worse, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports.

With his team-imposed seven-game suspension over, Butler could return to action against the Nuggets on Friday. However, there’s a sense of dread in the organization that Butler could become even more of a distraction.

One unnamed source within the organization told Shelburne, “I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” while another informed her, “We don’t want him back.”

Butler reiterated his demand to be traded to president of basketball operations Pat Riley during the suspension while the team was away on a six-game road trip. Butler was furious at the length of the suspension and the potential $2.35MM in lost salary, according to Shelburne, who says the possibility of a reduction waned because Butler failed to show enough contrition.

Here’s more from Shelburne’s story:

Butler was stunned when Riley publicly criticized him after last season for missing playoff games. Butler also felt the organization had prioritized Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro over him, especially when Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra essentially anointed Adebayo as the team leader when Udonis Haslem retired.
Butler’s preferential treatment during his years with the Heat is detailed, including staying in his mansion in Boulder, Colorado during the 2023 Finals. He’s also been allowed to fly privately or stay at a different location than the team on road trips.
During the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, Butler went to the locker room because of a sprained ankle, then left the arena because he told the team’s medical staff that he was feeling sick. He didn’t play the next three games and some team officials began to regard Butler as somewhat AWOL. During the last of those absences, Butler posted a video of himself playing soccer.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, DiVincenzo, Henderson, Camara, Murray

January 16th, 2025 at 11:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Timberwolves are out of excuses after losing to the shorthanded Warriors on Wednesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Nearly everything went wrong for Minnesota, including a slow start to open the game that saw the Wolves fall behind 13-0.

“They came out how we should’ve come out,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 28 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. “There’s no excuses. I think we just have to be better to start the game. We got it together. We fought and clawed our way back, but we start the game differently, this is a different story.”

Gui Santos made his first career start for Golden State and was effective, while Rudy Gobert was out-rebounded by Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Wolves rank 22nd in defensive rebounding after finishing ninth last year, which Krawczynski writes is a direct result of Gobert’s regression.

Anthony Edwards was critical of the lineup – himself included – that surrendered that early 13-0 deficit, Krawczynski writes in the same story.

“The starting five, we are terrible,” Edwards said. “Every game we come out low energy and the second group comes in and gives us energy. I would say the starting group has gotta come out with more energy like we want to play the game of basketball, like we love the game.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Things won’t get any easier for the Timberwolves as they embark on a difficult stretch that includes tilts against the Knicks, Cavaliers and Grizzlies. DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain, according to team PR (Twitter link). It’s not clear exactly how much DiVincenzo will miss, but toe sprain absences are often measured in weeks and not days.
The Trail Blazers saw a glimpse of a brighter future in a Tuesday loss to the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report writes. Second-year players Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara both recorded career games, with Henderson scoring a career-high 39 points while making eight three-pointers and Camara finishing the night with 24 points.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone expressed confidence last month that Jamal Murray would begin to silence his critics with his play and, after a season-high 45 points from the Kentucky product on Tuesday, Malone defended his guard again. “I think the microscope on Jamal is a little intense,” Malone said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Everybody’s just got to kind let the kid breathe a little bit. He’s not perfect. And if you look, I think his overall stats as of recently, he’s been very good for us.“

Thunder Notes: Culture, Wallace, Williams, Carlson

January 16th, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Thunder were able to fast-track their timeline for contention by establishing a firm culture under head coach Mark Daigneault that focused on skill development and small details, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.

“I think that’s why we’ve been able to accelerate our development,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All those little things that go into winning, they mean a lot to us because of our competitiveness and what our common goal is as a group.”

Oklahoma City saw success last season but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, falling short of the Western Conference Finals. Instead of sending out their assets for another star or big name, the Thunder targeted role players in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso who could help push their core to the top of the league.

“They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Daigneault said. “I think that’s one of the things that [Thunder general manager Sam Presti]’s nailed in this process. The types of people that we’ve brought in the door, regardless of whether they’re still here or they’re not, by and large, have been committed professionals that are ambitious, but they’re also willing to complete the team.”

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After emerging as a rookie contributor on a contending team last season, Cason Wallace began this season in a slump, averaging 6.5 points on 41.8% shooting through his first 33 games. But as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes, it looks like Wallace is out of his funk after averaging 13.2 points on 58.7% shooting in his last five outings. It’s obviously a small sample, but Wallace’s mentality helped break him out of the dry spell. “Just being a hooper,” Wallace said. “Knowing that you’re gonna have shooting slumps. And I had mine early. I had one last year, just wasn’t as loud as this. Just sticking with it, knowing it would come back.“
Jalen Williams has a solid case to make the All-Star Game according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, which would make him one of two players from the 2022 class to do so so far (joining Paolo Banchero). Entering Thursday, Williams held averages 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game for the contending Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams is worthy of the honor. “For our team to be as good as we’ve been, obviously coming up on the All-Star Game, I think it’d only be right for him to be an All-Star,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t have this record because of one All-Star. You don’t have this record because of one good player.”
Branden Carlson got his first shot at extended minutes in a big matchup against the Cavaliers on Thursday, Lorenzi writes. He scored 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench, playing in the first quarter. After going undrafted in 2024, Carlson signed a two-way contract with the Raptors, but was waived before the season began. The big man joined the Thunder on a non-guaranteed contract, was cut again, and was brought back last week on a 10-day deal. Although he’s only under contract for 10 days, Oklahoma City relied on Carlson with their frontcourt depth depleted as a result of injuries to Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.