Heat suspend Jimmy Butler again, this time indefinitely
Mon Jan 27 5:01pm ET
Field Level Media
The Miami Heat suspended disgruntled forward Jimmy Butler indefinitely after he walked out of a team shootaround Monday.
It marks the third time the Heat have suspended Butler this month, starting with a seven-game ban for conduct detrimental to the team and another two-game disciplinary move for missing a team flight to Milwaukee last week.
The latest suspension, which will last a minimum of five games, comes after Butler reportedly was told that he would be playing in a reserve role moving forward. The team is planning to keep Haywood Highsmith in a starting role.
Miami is set to host to the Orlando Magic on Monday.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra addressed the Butler situation before the team faced the Bucks on Thursday.
"The point that I made to our team is get used to it," Spoelstra said. "Get over it. This is the NBA life; this is the life we chose. If you think it's going to be predictable, you're really mistaken."
The reasoning given for Butler's first suspension was that, "through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team."
The Heat said at the time they would begin listening to offers for the disgruntled star forward. The National Basketball Players Association said it would appeal Butler's seven-game ban, though he wound up serving the entire suspension.
Butler returned Jan. 17 and played in three Heat home games before missing the flight to Milwaukee. Including time missed for an illness at the end of December, Butler has not played in any of Miami's last 12 road games.
"It takes a mental fortitude and commitment in terms of the task at hand," Spoelstra said Thursday. "Nothing changes in terms of the task at hand. ... We have enough continuity, we know what our identity is at this point. You can make any excuse you want to, but we get to do what we love.
"We've had this happen all season long, so we know the exercise and what we need to do to make those adjustments."
Tyler Herro told reporters last week there was "not much to talk about" with the latest Butler development.
"It's probably not the easiest to work with someone who's going to be in and out in any job," Herro said. "We love Jimmy; we'd love for him to be here. I love Jimmy."
On the season, Butler has averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25 games. Over 14 NBA seasons, the six-time All-Star has averaged 18.3 points with 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over 839 games (734 starts)
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Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles Lakers point guardGabe Vincent(knee) will not play against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Vincent was questionable earlier in the day, but he will be out of action due to soreness in his left knee. The 28-year-old has played in 39 games during this year's campaign, averaging 4.9 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per contest. While Vincent is sidelined, Dalton Knecht andMax Christie could see expanded roles in the Lakers rotation.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Los Angeles Lakers forwardRui Hachimura(calf) is unavailable for Monday's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. Hachimura will miss his second consecutive contest after sitting out due to left calf soreness against the Warriors on Saturday. Monday's game will be the seventh he's missed this season. The 26-year-old has started every game when available, averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds.Dalton Knechtwill likely take on an expanded role while Hachimura is sidelined.
On Monday, the Orlando Magic announced that centerGoga Bitadze(concussion) is available to suit up against the Miami Heat. Bitadze had missed seven consecutive contests due to a concussion. He was at the team's shootaround on Monday and has cleared the NBA's concussion protocol. The 35-year-old has been a starter in 33 of the 36 games he's played in this season. However, it is unclear if he will replace Wendell Carter in tonight's starting lineup.
Washington Wizards point guard Malcolm Brogdon (foot) won't play on Monday versus the Dallas Mavericks. He'll now miss his 12th straight game because of a right-foot plantar fascia contusion. Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George will both see more work as a result of his ongoing absence. The Wizards haven't given a clear timetable on Brogdon's return, but it will be a little while before he's back in the lineup. This season, Brogdon has averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Miami Heat are suspending forwardJimmy Butler indefinitely. Butler was supposed to play on Monday against Orlando after missing two consecutive contests, but he left the morning shootaround after hearing that he wouldn't be in the starting lineup. With the 35-year-old out once again, Haywood Highsmith will likely be moved into the starting five. Highsmith went scoreless in 21 minutes during his last outing on Saturday against the Nets.
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (heel) is listed as available for Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Clarkson had missed the last 10 games for Utah while dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. As of now it's unclear whether the 32-year-old will have a minutes restriction, adding some volatility to any fantasy managers or DFS players looking to insert him into their lineups tonight. Clarkson has averaged 16.0 PPG this season while shooting 33.9% from three. Milwaukee has the league's sixth best defensive rating in January, making tonight's matchup a tough sell for those looking to start Clarkson. Fantasy managers and DFS managers should temper expectations on Monday night.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (personal) will miss Monday night's game against the Utah Jazz. Portis also missed Saturday's game for personal reasons. The 29-year-old has been a decent contributor off of Milwaukee's bench, averaging 13.4 PPG and 7.9 RPG this season. In Saturday night's loss there was no apparent beneficiary off of Milwaukee's bench, rather the starters played extended minutes to cover Portis' absence. Expect more of the same against the Jazz, making Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez ideal pieces to target on Monday night.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (elbow, finger) is available for Monday night's game against the Toronto Raptors. Murray had X-rays done on his right hand over the weekend after missing Saturday's game. Thankfully for the 28-year-old they confirmed it's just a finger sprain and will be something he's able to play through. Murray has averaged 19.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 7.8 APG in January. With a decent looking matchup against the Raptors on deck, Murray should be in line for a solid night.
Atlanta Hawks guard Keaton Wallace has been recalled from the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta's G League affiliate, for Monday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and will be active. Atlanta is dealing with a litany of injuries and needs additional depth at guard. The 25-year-old has played in just one NBA game in January, though it was a start against the Chicago Bulls where he put up 27 points and six assists. With Bogdan Bogdanovic active it's unlikely Wallace will get the start. Minnesota's defense is one of the NBA's best as well, making Wallace a risky start in all fantasy formats. Only DFS managers should consider adding him in their lineups as a deep flier, though the risk will be high.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (back) has been ruled out of Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings. This will be the fifth straight contest that Simmons has missed due to his back issue. The 28-year-old has battled injuries most of the season, as has been the case the last few years. From a fantasy perspective, Simmons hasn't provided much value in terms of points, though he's been solid with assists as he averages 7.1 APG. In his absence expect D'Angelo Russell to take the lead in facilitating. Russell has averaged 7.7 APG in the four games Simmons has missed.
Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets. He is forced to miss a fourth straight game due to an ankle injury. Bulls want to give White enough time to heal up before letting him play again. White has played in 39 games, averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Without him, Lonzo Ball will get the start and Ayo Dosunmu should see more minutes on Monday.
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (hip) has been ruled out for a seventh consecutive game while he continues to deal with a strained left hip. The dynamic combo guard has been plagued with injury after injury this season and has only appeared in nine out of 45 games. Ochai Agbaji (hand) continues to see more minutes with Quickley out of the lineup, but he's considered questionable for Monday's matchup against the Pelicans as well. Davion Mitchell and Gradey Dick should remain in the starting five with Bruce Brown getting some added opportunities, but all three are very inconsistent. Fantasy managers will have to be comfortable with some risks using any of these options, but Dick usually sees a higher offensive output.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (back) appeared on the injury report as questionable due to lower back stiffness for their Monday night matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 29-year-old has one of the most consistent fantasy contributors on the Raptors this season as he averages 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. Whenever he misses time, the streaming options are pretty thin. Chris Boucher just posted a huge night in their last game with 23 points, five rebounds, and one block, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him start. Orlando Robinson would likely get backup minutes, but Boucher would make the better of the two for streaming purposes, especially since he can stretch the floor.
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (shoulder) has been downgraded from questionable to out on Monday and will not face the Milwaukee Bucks. The young big man suffered a shoulder contusion in their last game against the Memphis Grizzlies after seeing the court for 29 minutes and posting 11 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and two blocks. While Kessler and John Collins (illness) are both out, Kyle Filipowski will likely see some added opportunities at center. Across 20 minutes against the Grizzlies, he registered 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Charlotte Hornets small forward Cody Martin (abdomen) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons. The small forward will miss his second game in a row due to core tightness. He was last seen in action against the Portland Trailblazers, where Martin had a rebound and an assist in four minutes. This season, Martin has averaged 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. His field goal percentage stands at 43.3%, while his three-point shooting percentage is at 32.3%.
Utah Jazz forward John Collins (illness) will not play on Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks due to an illness. The former Hawk was originally listed as questionable but has since been downgraded to out as it seems the illness is impacting him a little more than the team would like. Collins has only appeared in three of the last 16 games due to various ailments. So, Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh will likely see added opportunities since Walker Kessler (shoulder) has also been ruled out. Filipowski has the better route to more minutes and just posted 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in their last game.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (back) is in danger of missing his fourth consecutive game after drawing a questionable tag for Monday's game against the New York Knicks. The 23-year-old appeared in all 42 games leading up to this stretch and saw around 21 minutes per contest while averaging 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. If he remains sidelined, GG Jackson II, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama (questionable - illness) should all continue to see minutes. If Aldama doesn't play, Jackson would be a solid option in deep leagues.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Gabe Vincent (knee) is listed as questionable ahead of Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. He has missed six games this season and is in danger of missing this one because of left knee soreness. Vincent likely picked up an injury in Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors where he had seven points and two assists. This season, Vincent has played in 39 games averaging 4.9 points, 1.3 assists, 1.3 rebounds, and 3.0 threes per game.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (calf) is questionable for Monday's meeting with the Charlotte Hornets. Hachimura sat out against the Warriors due to left calf soreness, and it appears as if his status for Monday is once again in doubt. He missed his sixth game of the season and is in danger of missing his second consecutive game. Hachimura has started every game he's played and is averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds on the season. Dalton Knecht is likely going to step up if Hachimura is out.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (illness) has been tagged as questionable for Monday's matchup with the New York Knicks after missing the team's last two contests. The Spaniard has a bit more competition for minutes since the team has gotten healthier, but h's carved out a role that sees around 24 minutes per game. If he's forced to remain on the sidelines, GG Jackson II has been a rising fantasy candidate as he gets some more minutes, and Zach Edey continues to deliver some strong big-man stats for category leagues like he did on Saturday with 19 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and two steals.
