Jimmy Butler Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Butler, Herro, Wizards, Brown

April 30th, 2022 at 1:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat star Jimmy Butler (knee inflammation) plans to play in Game 1 against the Sixers on Monday, as Nick Friedell of ESPN relays (Twitter link). Butler missed Miami’s final game against the Hawks last Tuesday and expressed confidence his knee will hold up.

Philadelphia will be without superstar center Joel Embiid (orbital fracture and mild concussion), however, which Butler says he and the rest of the Heat are disappointed about. Butler also said Embiid deserves to win the Most Valuable Player award this season.

“I think I speak for everybody that’s a part of this team, we want Jo to play,” he said. “We want to go up against them at full strength and prove that we can hang with anybody and we can beat anybody.”

As we wrote on Friday, Embiid doesn’t have a timetable for his return. The Sixers and Heat will play Game 2 on Wednesday, then travel to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday.

Here are some other notes from the East:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explores whether Tyler Herro‘s illness absence should raise concerns for the Heat. Herro didn’t practice on Saturday because of a cold, but he’s still expected to play in Game 1. The 22-year-old struggled during Miami’s first-round series against Atlanta, averaging 12.8 points on 39% shooting from the floor and 18% from deep.
The Wizards could greatly benefit from the Jazz blowing their roster up this offseason, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines. Utah lost its first-round series against Dallas 4-2 and could explore trading key pieces in the summer. Hughes believes Washington may express interest in a number of Jazz players, including Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley. The Wizards naturally want to build a competitive roster around Bradley Beal and keep him in town.
Celtics star Jaylen Brown told reporters that he should be “ready to roll” for the team’s Game 1 against the Bucks, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. Brown, who has been dealing with hamstring tightness, said he’s feeling good. Boston will open up the series at home on Sunday afternoon.

Injury Notes: Heat, Brown, Hill, Z. Williams, Reid

April 29th, 2022 at 9:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was noncommittal on Friday when asked for a status update on Jimmy Butler (sore right knee) and Kyle Lowry (left hamstring), according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Butler missed Game 5 of Miami’s first-round series against Atlanta, while Lowry missed Games 4 and 5 after leaving Game 3 early.

“I don’t want to jump the gun on anything. I just like the progress that everybody’s made. We’ll see if they can make more progress tomorrow. It will just be a daily update,” Spoelstra said.

Butler’s injury is considered relatively minor, with no MRI or other imaging planned. Muscle strains are notoriously tricky to deal with, so Lowry might be out longer, but his hamstring strain is also not considered to be serious, per Chiang and Jackson.

“I’m expecting them to get healthy day by day, honestly,” Bam Adebayo said when asked if he expects Butler and Lowry to be available for the start of the second round. “If they can go, they can go. If they’re not, we got to go out there regardless. You can’t push back Game 1.”

Here are some more postseason injury notes from around the NBA:

Head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter links), that Celtics star Jaylen Brown is dealing with hamstring tightness and had it evaluated recently. Despite the injury, Brown is expected to play in Game 1 against Milwaukee on Sunday.
George Hill (abdominal strain) was unable to practice on Friday, per Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. He’s out for Game 1 but the team is hopeful he might return during the second-round series against Boston, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The veteran guard missed the entire first-round series against Chicago with the injury and hasn’t played since April 8.
Grizzlies rookie wing Ziaire Williams (right knee soreness) was unavailable for Friday’s Game 6 contest against the Timberwolves, the team announced (via Twitter). He’d previously been listed as doubtful. Wolves big man Naz Reid also missed Game 6 due to personal reasons (Twitter link via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic).

Heat, Jimmy Butler Fined $15K Apiece By NBA

April 28th, 2022 at 1:16pm CST by Rory Maher

All-Star forward Jimmy Butler has been fined $15K for making an obscene gesture and the Heat organization was also fined $15K for posting Butler’s act on social media, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

The incident occurred on the bench in the second quarter of Miami’s Game 5 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday (video link). Butler was sidelined for the contest with right knee inflammation.

The Heat closed out their first-round series in five games despite missing Butler and point guard Kyle Lowry (left hamstring strain). The team is hopeful both players will be available for the second-round matchup against either Philadelphia or Toronto, which will start next Monday.

Butler had another strong regular season for Miami, averaging 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals on .480/.233/.870 shooting in 57 games.

After leading the Heat to the Finals in 2019/20 with several brilliant performances, the 32-year-old struggled mightily in last year’s first-round sweep at the hands of the Bucks, posting averages of 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals on .297/.267/.727 shooting.

However, Butler was outstanding in Miami’s series win over Atlanta, averaging 30.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals on .543/.438/.794 shooting in four games. The Heat will need more strong play from the six-time All-Star in order to make another deep postseason run.

Heat Notes: Series Win, Butler, Lowry, Oladipo, Robinson

April 27th, 2022 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Despite missing Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, the Heat closed out their first-round series on Tuesday, defeating the Hawks and securing a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They’ll face either Philadelphia or Toronto in the second round.

As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, the story of the first-round win was Miami’s defense simply performing better than Atlanta’s high-octane offense. After averaging 28.4 points per game on 46.0% shooting during the regular season, Trae Young put up just 15.4 PPG on 31.9% shooting in five playoff games vs. the Heat. Young, who made 22 field goals and had 30 assists in the series while turning the ball over 30 times, couldn’t seem to get going no matter who was defending him.

“They’re a good defensive team,” Young said, per Chiang. “Their team is more of a system than who they have on their team, and no matter who they have out there, they can play. It’s about their system. Their defensive system is all about helping.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Miami’s second-round series won’t begin until next Monday, so Butler (right knee inflammation) and Lowry (left hamstring strain) will have a few days to try to get ready for Game 1. The hope is that both will be available, according to Chiang. “The next couple days while we just watch what’s going on, I just want everybody living in the training room,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Tuesday’s win. “Go back to our cave, bandage up, hopefully get healthy and then see what happens in that series. But definitely the guys have earned a couple days of just quality rest and treatment.”
Following the Heat’s Game 4 win, Butler and Victor Oladipo both laughed off a Skip Bayless claim that Butler hates playing with Oladipo (Twitter links via Brady Hawk of 5 Reasons Sports and Chiang). “I’m always the bad guy,” Butler said. “That’s okay. Bad guys are welcome here in the Miami Heat organization. … I love my guys.” Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald referred to the rumor as “baseless” (Twitter link).
Oladipo’s recent emergence has further diminished Duncan Robinson‘s role and raised more questions about Robinson’s future in Miami, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger published his article prior to Game 5, but Tuesday’s performances only strengthened his thesis — Oladipo had 23 points, while Robinson went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in 13 minutes.

Jimmy Butler Ruled Out For Game 5

April 26th, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Luke Adams

5:39pm: Butler is considered day-to-day, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN and Marc J. Spears of Andscape, who hear from a team source that the swingman felt soreness in his knee when he woke up on Tuesday.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports that there is no testing scheduled for Butler’s knee. Chiang adds that Oladipo is set to start in Butler’s stead tonight against Atlanta.

2:58pm: Already missing Kyle Lowry for Game 5 of their series vs. the Hawks on Tuesday, the Heat have announced (via Twitter) that they’ll also be without their other six-time All-Star, Jimmy Butler.

Butler, who hadn’t previously been listed on the injury report, has been ruled out due to right knee inflammation.

Butler has been the Heat’s best player through the first four games of the playoffs, averaging 30.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 2.8 SPG on .543/.438/.794 shooting in 37.3 minutes per contest.

Having opened the series with Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris both out of the rotation, Miami will have to lean more on its depth with two starters unavailable, relying on a handful of players – including Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, and Oladipo – to attempt to replace Butler’s scoring and play-making.

The Heat hold a 3-1 lead over the Hawks, so they have a little margin for error, but things would start to get uncomfortable if they had to travel back to Atlanta for Game 6, especially if there are no guarantees that Butler and/or Lowry would be ready to play on Thursday.

Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Morris, Oladipo

April 22nd, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jimmy Butler‘s 45-point outburst on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Heat‘s series vs. Atlanta was reminiscent of the big performances he turned in during Miami’s 2020 run to the NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble. However, Butler said after the game that he’s a different player now than he was then, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“I’m not as ball-dominant as I was in the bubble,” Butler said. “We got a point guard, and that’s Kyle (Lowry), and I love him being a point guard. I just get to go out there and try to score. And if I can’t score, pass the ball. We’re a different team; I’m a different player.”

While Butler may feel as if he has changed as a player since two years ago, the Heat will welcome more playoff outings that resemble what he did in 2020, as opposed to a repeat of 2021, when he averaged 14.5 PPG on 29.7% shooting in a four-game sweep at the hands of Milwaukee.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes, the more games Butler has like Tuesday’s, the better the Heat’s decision to sign him to a new long-term, maximum-salary contract extension last offseason will look. That deal is expected to pay Butler a salary exceeding $50MM in 2025/26, his age-36 season.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In an in-depth feature for ESPN, Israel Gutierrez details Tyler Herro‘s growth over the last two seasons, from his struggles in 2020/21 to his probable Sixth Man of the Year win in 2022. Within the story, the Heat guard dismissed the rumors that surfaced a year ago about the team being concerned by his so-called celebrity lifestyle. “There were so much rumors floating around my name,” Herro said. “The lifestyle stuff, the girls, and saying I’m getting caught up in that, which was never true.”
Markieff Morris has recovered from the neck injury he suffered when he was hit from behind by Nikola Jokic in November, but the way that situation played out still doesn’t sit well with head coach Erik Spoelstra, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Markieff’s story has been probably frustrating,” Spoelstra said, “Something that shouldn’t have happened, and it’s only a one-game suspension for that, and he had to miss months of time. It makes no sense, but he’s handled that with great grace and class.”
Joe Vardon of The Athletic takes a look at the Heat’s “high-class” problem of having a roster so loaded with contributors that they pulled Duncan Robinson from their starting five and removed Morris and Victor Oladipo from the rotation entirely. Spoelstra still expects to lean on Morris and Oladipo at some point in the postseason, per Winderman. “You see how quickly things can change,” Spoelstra said, pointing to Caleb Martin‘s emergence in Game 2 vs. Atlanta. “All of sudden Caleb played and had really significant and important minutes in that second half. I anticipate the same thing will happen for Vic and Markieff.”

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Butler, Strus, Haslem, Oladipo

April 13th, 2022 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

More than three years before Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler led the Heat to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season, they were almost traded for one another, Adebayo said during a recent appearance on J.J. Redick’s Old Man and the Three podcast.

According to Adebayo, his name came up in trade talks in 2018 when the Heat were exploring the possibility of acquiring Butler from the Timberwolves.

“You heard the Minnesota situation,” Adebayo told Redick, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “And it’s crazy, because I almost got traded for Jimmy, to Minnesota. … (team president) Pat (Riley) wouldn’t trade me. Like he was, ‘Nah, I see something good in this kid.’ Yadda, yadda, yadda. And, at that point, I’m sweating bullets. Like, I’m not trying to be traded. I like it in Miami. It’s warm. I kind of got my feet wet. I’m familiar with the place.”

According to Winderman, the Heat’s offer to Minnesota in 2018 ended up revolving around Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters, and draft picks. The Wolves instead sent Butler to the Sixers, who flipped the veteran swingman to Miami less than a year later in a sign-and-trade deal involving Richardson.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Heat wing Max Strus discussed his recovery from a 2019 ACL tear, his experience in Miami, and his long-term career goals. Strus – who is under contract with the Heat for one more season before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2023 – said he’s taking things year by year but would “love to be here” long-term. “I think it’s been great for my career, and I think I’m a good fit for the Heat and what we do here,” he said. “I try not to get too caught up in that because you never know what’s going to happen.”
While the March 23 sideline spat involving Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem, and head coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t look good, the Heat were able to quickly move past that incident and have no regrets, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I could have been a little more cool-headed,” Haslem said on Cari Champion’s podcast. “Jimmy could have been a little more cool-headed. But I don’t think neither one of us regret that situation. Because you look at the type of basketball we’re playing now. A couple of days later, we were back drinking wine together.”
After returning to the court last month following a long recovery from quad surgery, Victor Oladipo appeared in just eight of the Heat’s last 17 games and only played 20 or more minutes three times. However, he showed just how valuable he can be by averaging 30.5 points on 60.6% shooting in his final two games. As Winderman writes in another Sun Sentinel article, the Heat will face a tough decision on how and when to insert Oladipo into a crowded rotation for the postseason. “I don’t have no control with that,” the two-time All-Star said. “If my number is called, I’ll be ready.”

Erik Spoelstra Enters Health And Safety Protocols

April 3rd, 2022 at 5:14pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced (Twitter link). Assistant Chris Quinn will lead the club in his place.

This is Spoelstra’s first time entering the league’s protocols, though Quinn and fellow assistant Malik Allen did so earlier this season. Spoelstra spoke against the protocols back in December in the hopes that the league would re-examine them — the required quarantine period has since been reduced.

“Has everybody gotten their shots and their boosters? Why would they be held out extensively longer than if they have the flu?” he asked, as relayed by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

Spoelstra has guided Miami to the best record in the Eastern Conference this season (50-28), leading the No. 2 seed Bucks by 1.5 games. The Heat will also be without Jimmy Butler (toe), PJ Tucker (knee), Dewayne Dedmon (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (toe) for Sunday’s game against the Raptors.

Miami most recently took a 127-109 road victory over the Bulls on Saturday. The club only has four games left on its regular-season schedule, with the playoffs set to begin in 13 days.

Heat Notes: Rotation, Playoffs, Butler, Strus

April 2nd, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has changed his rotation since losing four straight games, replacing Duncan Robinson with Max Strus in the starting lineup, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. In addition, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris have both received DNPs for the past two games.

“These are tough decisions and there’s a lot of different things that could work,” Spoelstra said this week. “We just felt at this time, this particular time, that these moves may clean up some things with the rotation. But those aren’t easy things. I think we all just have to have empathy and grace for some of these changes for the guys that didn’t necessarily play tonight.”

Miami defeated Sacramento 123-100 on Monday and Boston 106-98 on Wednesday. The team is attributing its success to better offensive spacing, but the defense has also improved. Prior to that, the club allowed 110, 111, 118 and 113 points in its four consecutive losses.

Here are some other notes from Miami:

Speaking of the team’s rotation, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Spoelstra will use a 10-man group in the playoffs. Spoelstra has played Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Robinson and Dewayne Dedmon off the bench these past two games, though Caleb Martin (calf) missed both contests.
Jimmy Butler briefly acknowledged his recent altercation with Spoelstra and Udonis Haslem, Winderman notes in a separate story. “Things happen… and we move on from it,” he explained. Butler, Spoelstra and Haslem all discussed the incident and quickly moved past it shortly after the March 23 game, sources said.
In addition to starting games, Strus is proving he can close games for the team, Winderman writes. Strus logged nearly 32 minutes against Boston on Wednesday, finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. He also registered a team-best +17 net rating.

Heat Notes: Mulder, Butler, Haslem, Spoelstra

March 26th, 2022 at 8:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat brought Mychal Mulder back because of the positive impression he made during his first stint with the organization, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Mulder signed a two-way contract on Thursday, taking the place of Kyle Guy. Because the deal covers two years, Mulder will be able to play for Miami during Summer League and take part in the team’s offseason program.

Mulder signed his first NBA contract with the Heat in 2019 after going undrafted out of Kentucky. He spent training camp with the team on an Exhibit 10 deal and played in two preseason games before being waived prior to the start of the season. He went on to play 67 games for the Warriors over two years and appeared 15 games with the Magic earlier this season.

“We were excited to have him back in our program. … We’re excited about having an opportunity to work with him this offseason and really continue to develop him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “In a perfect world, we would’ve been able to do that for the last two seasons, but we also like that he was able to go develop in a couple other places.”

There’s more from Miami:

The recent return of Markieff Morris and Victor Oladipo has shaken up the rotation, but that’s normal in the NBA, P.J. Tucker tells Chiang in the same story. Several players who were seeing significant minutes earlier in the season are now stuck on the bench. “Every day is different, whether somebody is in or out,” Tucker said. “Look at Gabe [Vincent]. He’s going from starting and getting 20 [points] in a couple games in a row to Kyle [Lowry] coming back and literally not stepping in the game. Then the next game starting again. You don’t know. But you have to be ready. It’s a part of your job. It’s a part of being a professional basketball player.”
The Heat are downplaying a sideline scuffle (video link) between Jimmy Butler and Udonis Haslem that took place during Wednesday’s game, tweets Mark Haynes of ClutchPoints. Although the two players nearly came to blows during a time out, Bam Adebayo said it’s not out of character for the team. “This is us in practice,” he said. “… In practice, we get like that to that point where like it looks like we want to fight each other when we get that mad, but it’s just the competitive nature that we have on this team.”
Spoelstra is absent from tonight’s game because of a medical procedure involving his son, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Assistant coach Chris Quinn is running the team.