If the Heat don't move Jimmy Butler by the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, he'd be better off picking up his player option to facilitate a trade this offseason.
Jimmy Butler has appeared in two games for the Heat since his team-imposed seven-game suspension ended last week, but the
The Lakers and Clippers have moved into the top 10 of the NBA power rankings and are beginning to look like true contenders.
Winning without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo proved too much to ask from the Miami Heat, with their three-game winning streak snapped with a loss Monday night to the Los Angeles Clippers at the
The defeat to the Lakers also marked the first game back by Heat center Bam Adebayo as he missed the Clippers game because of a lower back contusion. He suffered the injury in the win over the Portland Trail Blazers last Saturday after a bad fall right on the back which made him inactive for the first time this season.
Led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Western Conference's eighth-place Suns have played well in January, winning seven of their last nine, and are 8-4 overall this month. The Clippers are sixth in the West standings, led by veteran stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, plus their top scorer this season Norman Powell.
Along with missing Adebayo, the Heat was also without Butler (team suspension), Josh Richardson (right heel inflammation) and Dru Smith (Achilles surgery) against the Clippers. Richardson was on the trip with the Heat, but he returned to Miami to undergo an MRI on his lingering heel injury.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra discussed the team's expectations for Jimmy Butler's performance following his return to the NBA after serving his suspension.
The Miami Heat have a young nucleus brewing in South Beach and could add a talented scorer to its foundation ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.
Butler is expected to play for the Miami Heat against the Orlando Magic on Monday night ( 7:30 ET, NBA League Pass ), after completing his second suspension of the month. He was suspended for Miami’s most recent two games after missing a team flight to Milwaukee last week.
Welcome back to another installment of HoopsHype’s power rankings! Last time, we looked at X-Factors. This week, I wanted to do something a little differ