<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/heat-news-miami-prevails-over-nets-despite-jimmy-butler-terry-rozier-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat prevails over Nets despite Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/3-Heat-takeaways-from-win-loss-vs-Nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat prevails over Nets despite Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T19:05:27-08:00">December 23rd, 7:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T19:05:27-08:00">December 23rd, 7:05pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MIAMI – After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstras-blunt-reaction-to-historic-collapse-vs-magic">Heat collapsed against the Magic</a> last Saturday, they bounced back with a home win to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, 110-95. The team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-is-jimmy-butler-playing-vs-nets-latest-injury-update">came out without Heat star Jimmy Butler</a> and even Terry Rozier and handled business, snapping the three-game skid.</p><p>Bam Adebayo led the team with 23 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists as Tyler Hero and Duncan Robinson each had 17. Herro would have 12 rebounds and nine assists to go with the 17 points as even Nikola Jovic led the team off the bench with 18 points.</p><p>Here are three takeaways from the Heat’s win over the Nets:</p><h2><b>A tale of two quarters in first half for Heat, includes Dru Smith injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dru-Smith-and-the-Heat-on-Dec.-23-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-miami-collapse-magic-ends-796-nba-streak">Heat broke down against the Magic</a> last Saturday, they wanted to get the dreadful taste out of their mouth by getting off to a fast start against the Nets. They did just that in the first quarter where Miami scored 39 points in the frame as they shot 12 of 20 from the field and nine of 14 from beyond the arc.</p><p>They got a huge boost from Nikola Jovic who came off the bench for Miami, scoring 10 points, shooting three of four from the field, and made both of his attempts from three-point range. Some huge buckets from Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. would help as well, the latter who made the start with Butler missing his second straight game with a stomach illness.</p><p>However, it would turn around in the second quarter where the offense stalled as they only made five of their 20 attempts from the field, including two of 10 from deep. The period also <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1871366902058193082" rel="noopener">had some unfortunate news</a> where Dru Smith suffered a lower leg injury, appearing to slip and staying down on the floor until he had to be helped off the floor and go straight to the locker room.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Video of when Dru Smith got hurt, non-contact. Video by <a href="https://twitter.com/Demar305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Demar305</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/ygBJe87qcf">pic.twitter.com/ygBJe87qcf</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1871366902058193082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><br><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-erik-spoelstra-shout-out-miamis-latest-diamond-in-the-rough">Smith had been getting consistent Heat minutes</a> as this would not be the first concerning injury as he was recovering from a torn ACL this past offseason. He seemed like a lead candidate in mind for a standard contract after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-thomas-bryant-trade-pacers">Heat traded Thomas Bryant to the Indiana Pacers,</a> but depending on the severity of the injury to Smith, which seems to be serious, that is in flux.</p></figure><p>Still, Miami has to clean up what was an ugly second period as they led by 14 points, but had a one-point lead at halftime.</p><h2><b>Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo close out the Nets in second half</b></h2><p>The third quarter would be a little bit of a turnaround for Miami, though they still carried a five-point lead against a struggling Brooklyn team. With Butler out, the offensive workload was thought to be carried to Herro and Adebayo, but each would have a modest game, but the third period was a highlight for the big man.</p><p>Looking <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/exclusive-bam-adebayo-embracing-love-hate-relationship-with-heat-captain-title">at the Heat’s captain Adebayo</a>, he would have nine points to go along with four rebounds, each would lead both teams in the 12 minutes played. As a whole the team, shot seven of 16 from the field and just three of 10 from deep compared to the Nets who made nine of 25 from the field and three of eight from three.</p><p>In the final frame, Adebayo and Herro would close out the game behind some strong offensive performances when it mattered most as they had eight and seven respectively. They came at a time when Miami needed buckets to stall Brooklyn, which is exactly what they did, leading to the win.</p><h2><b>Road test ahead, Heat hope to have Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier back </b></h2><p>With this game in the books, the team has a three-game road trip to look forward to with the health of some stars being the main focus for Miami. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness">Butler has been dealing with a stomach illness</a>, missing the last two games, including the win Monday against the Nets, but it didn’t stop there for the team.</p><p>Point guard Terry Rozier was a late add to the injury report Monday, though he was listed as “probable” with left knee inflammation. His status would not change as a Heat spokesperson told ClutchPoints before Erik Spoelstra’s pre-game press conference that Rozier was waiting for the arrival of doctors to see if he could go.</p><p>He would go from “probable” to “out” as the former Charlotte Hornets guard had been used as a key play-maker off the bench, coming off his best game, scoring 23 points (season-high) in the Heat’s collapse. The team will look to see any further updates regarding Butler, Rozier, and especially Smith after the concerning lower left leg injury as their next game is against the Magic on Dec. 26.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat prevails over Nets despite Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-growing-consensus-downplays-jimmy-butler-trade-possibility');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: ‘Growing consensus’ downplays Jimmy Butler trade possibility');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Growing-consensus-downplays-Jimmy-Butler-trade-possibility.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: ‘Growing consensus’ downplays Jimmy Butler trade possibility</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T16:29:41-08:00">December 23rd, 4:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T16:29:41-08:00">December 23rd, 4:29pm</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jimmy Butler’s time with the Miami Heat appears to be nearing its conclusion, but according to Bobby Marks and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43115881/nba-buzz-orlando-g-league-trade-deadline-intel-2025-draft-bronny-james-cooper-flagg" rel="noopener">league insiders believe</a> that Butler is likely to remain with the team past the trade deadline. Unless the six-time All-Star causes significant disruptions or Miami receives an irresistible trade proposal, he is expected to stay on the Heat’s roster.</p><p>Butler has visibly shown his frustration with the Miami Heat throughout this season, despite delivering exceptional performances on the court. However, the Heat’s current roster lacks the depth and talent needed to contend for an NBA championship, especially in an Eastern Conference that is more competitive than it has been in years.</p><h2><b>Where is Jimmy Butler going?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-the-court-for-the-Heat.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The 35-year old is in the final year of his contract and seems unlikely to re-sign with the Miami Heat, which raises the possibility of a trade. The six-time All-Star is expected to opt out of his $52 million player option for next season, making him a free agent unless an extension is agreed upon. Miami has the option to offer Butler a two-year deal worth $112.6 million to retain him.</p><p>This season, Butler has been solid, averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He is shooting 55.2% from the field, 35.7% from three-point range, and 78.2% from the free-throw line. The Heat forward’s contributions have helped the Heat achieve a 13-13 record, placing them sixth in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Butler has become a topic of trade discussions this season. With a $48.7 million salary and stellar performances on the court, he warrants a team capable of contending for a title. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butlers-agent-sounds-off-again-on-trade-rumors">While Butler’s agent has refuted the rumors</a>, the chatter hasn’t subsided. As the trade deadline approaches in just over a month, a deal involving Butler could materialize quickly.</p><h2><b>The Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns showing interest</b></h2><p>The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reports that the Lakers are anticipated to be among the more aggressive teams ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, aiming to capitalize on the remaining years of the LeBron James and Anthony Davis duo.</p><p>Parting with their final valuable trade assets is essentially a full commitment to the present, and that’s exactly the intention. If the Lakers hesitate to trade Hachimura and two first-round picks for a versatile forward who boosts their performance on both ends of the court, it raises the question—why hold on to Davis and James at all?</p><p>The Phoenix Suns are reportedly eager to acquire Butler, but their only potential path to landing him would involve trading Bradley Beal and what remains of their future draft picks. However, two significant obstacles stand in the way: Beal holds a no-trade clause, and there is little indication that the Heat are interested in a trade involving Butler and Beal, according to Marc Stein.</p><p>Beal, 31, has dealt with injuries this season, including a sprained elbow, a strained calf, and knee swelling. Following a recent practice, Beal suggested that no one from Phoenix’s front office has approached him about the possibility of waiving his no-trade clause.</p><p>Last Friday, Jimmy Butler exited Miami’s game in the first quarter after seeming to injure his ankle. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a stomach illness, which the Heat lost 114-107. Butler also missed Saturday’s 121-114 loss to the Orlando Magic due to the same illness. He is listed as questionable for their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-is-jimmy-butler-playing-vs-nets-latest-injury-update">Monday game against the Brooklyn Nets due to a stomach illness</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: ‘Growing consensus’ downplays Jimmy Butler trade possibility

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/heat-news-is-jimmy-butler-playing-vs-nets-latest-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat’s Jimmy Butler out vs. Nets due to stomach illness');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Heat-news-Is-Jimmy-Butler-playing-vs_9b6804.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat’s Jimmy Butler out vs. Nets due to stomach illness</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T09:23:13-08:00">December 23rd, 9:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T14:40:26-08:00">December 23rd, 2:40pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-free-agency-reason-heat-rushing-trade-jimmy-butler">trade rumors surround Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat</a>, the focus for fans is if he will play Monday night as they take on the Brooklyn Nets. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-gets-injury-update-for-nets-game-after-25-point-collapse">Butler’s status was up in the air</a> for the contest as the team looks to break their three-game skid after winning four straight prior.</p><p>Here’s everything we know about Jimmy Butler’s injury and his playing status vs. the Nets.</p><p>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">Get Access | Save $30</a>)*</p><h2><b>Jimmy Butler injury status vs. Nets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-Dec.-16-2024-1.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jimmy Butler is <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1871322935706747357" rel="noopener">out vs. the Nets with a stomach illness</a>, and it will mark his second straight game missed, according to ClutchPoints.</p><p>It all started when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness">Butler left with that illness</a> during the first quarter of last Friday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder where it looked originally to be an ankle injury because of a collision in a bang-bang play. However, he would go to the locker room where the team later announced he left because he was <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870282878795280686" rel="noopener">“feeling ill.”</a></p><p>He has only missed the last game where the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstras-blunt-reaction-to-historic-collapse-vs-magic">Heat suffered a major collapse to the Orlando Magic</a>, at one point having a 25-point lead and losing a 22-point lead going into the fourth quarter. If he were to be out again Monday night, the team needs to figure out how to engrain the <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870324691572834510" rel="noopener">“next man up mentality”</a> as the Heat’s captain Bam Adebayo said after the loss to the Thunder.</p><p>“We got to figure this thing out,” Adebayo said. “You can’t harp on who’s in, who’s out. It’s about going out there and trying to get the W.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bam Adebayo on hearing that Jimmy Butler won’t be returning to the game.</p><p>“Next man up…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/2v4WXlbyyn">pic.twitter.com/2v4WXlbyyn</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870324691572834510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Butler entered the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-leaves-first-quarter-leads-to-loss-over-okc">Heat’s loss to the Thunder </a>with an illness but felt ready to go as head coach Erik Spoelstra <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779" rel="noopener">explained after the game.</a></p><p>“I’m not thinking any other thought,” Spoelstra said. “If guys say they can go, we’re going right now.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler being ill before the game.</p><p>“If guys say they can go, we’re going…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/DhamlZVHoG">pic.twitter.com/DhamlZVHoG</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on the collapse without Jimmy Butler </b></h2><p>Still, it was not like Butler’s absence last Saturday caused anyone to falter to start the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-miami-collapse-magic-ends-796-nba-streak">Heat’s collapse against the Magic</a> as they scored 76 points in the first half, a season-high, but would crack under the pressure, scoring eight in the final frame. Orlando was without their top three players Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs as Spoelstra would cite their defense and an exceptional 35 points from Cole Anthony.</p><p>“<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article297430043.html" rel="noopener">You have to credit them</a>,” Spoelstra said via The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “They stepped up their defense, they got stops…We started to try to self-will a little bit versus that pressure, that led to turnovers. And then when we did get open looks, we weren’t in a rhythm and you’re feeling a little bit of the momentum shift. It’s tough to knock those down.”</p><p>“It just became an absolute avalanche from there,” Spoelstra continued on Anthony. “Once he hit two, it became three, four. Going into the fourth quarter, he was in a great rhythm. And so even though there was some separation, that’s the danger. You let an ignitable guy like that see a couple go down and the momentum just shifted from there.”</p><p>Miami is now 13-13 as they look to beat Brooklyn.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat’s Jimmy Butler out vs. Nets due to stomach illness

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-free-agency-reason-heat-rushing-trade-jimmy-butler');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Free agency reason why Heat aren’t rushing to trade Jimmy Butler this year');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-free-agency-reason-Heat-arent-rushing-to-trade-Jimmy-Butler-this-season.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Free agency reason why Heat aren’t rushing to trade Jimmy Butler this year</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T08:50:37-08:00">December 23rd, 8:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T08:50:37-08:00">December 23rd, 8:50am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat are reportedly not rushing to get rid of Jimmy Butler even though a trade involving the aging star seems all but inevitable.</p><p>Over the past few weeks, Butler has been at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">center of trade rumors</a>, with the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-espn-rockets-heat">, Houston Rockets,</a> and Golden State Warriors being mentioned as either desired or potential landing spots. However, the Heat, which have until the February trade deadline to move Butler this season, are confident that even if they do not trade Butler before then that they will have the opportunity to do so over the summer or during next season.</p><p>“The Heat have slumped to a worrisome 13-13, but they continue to transmit calm and patience when it comes to the Butler situation,” NBA insider Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-latest-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153497921&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">wrote on his</a> Substack. “As covered here on Dec. 14, Miami is extremely confident that Butler won’t be able to leave in free agency this summer — if he indeed goes through with bypassing his $52.4 million player option for next season — without the Heat’s help in a sign-and-trade.”</p><p>Miami is right to have confidence that Butler, who turns 36 before next season, will pick up his massive option even if he is not content with the Heat (or vice versa). Unless Butler feels he can get a long-term extension elsewhere, like possibly spreading out more than $100 million over two or three years, he will very likely elect to guarantee himself $52.4 million.</p><p>Additionally, Stein added that there is only one team in the NBA currently projected to have the room to make a long-term extension play for Butler.</p><p>“Only Brooklyn is currently on course to have the sort of salary cap space required to sign Butler outright in the summer,” Stein said, “and few are projecting the Nets — who just shipped Dennis Schröder to Golden State and are expected to soon shed additional veterans with the hope of improving their draft prospects in June — to mount a free agent run at a thirtysomething. Butler, six times an All-Star, turned 35 in September.</p><p>That leaves Butler and the Heat stuck together for the time being, although that could change if another large-salary player becomes available on the trade market or either Miami or the team it is trading with decides to slash salary on its roster, giving them the ability to move a player making as much as Butler is.</p><p>This season’s NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 6, giving the Heat 45 days to move Butler. If they choose not to, the six-time All-Star will have to make his more than $50 million decision by the June 29 option deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Free agency reason why Heat aren’t rushing to trade Jimmy Butler this year

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-how-heat-feel-jimmy-butler-bradley-beal-trade-swap');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: How Heat feel about a Jimmy Butler-Bradley Beal trade swap');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-Heat-feel-about-a-Jimmy-Butler-Bradley-Beal-trade-swap.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: How Heat feel about a Jimmy Butler-Bradley Beal trade swap</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T07:45:20-08:00">December 23rd, 7:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T07:48:49-08:00">December 23rd, 7:48am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Miami Heat star forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-for-espn-hypothetical-suns-heat-76ers-deal#:~:text=Suns%20trade%20grade%3A%20A&amp;text=This%20season%2C%20Butler%20is%20averaging,exit%20against%20the%20Minnesota%20Timberwolves.https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-for-espn-hypothetical-suns-heat-76ers-deal#:~:text=Suns%20trade%20grade%3A%20A&amp;text=This%20season%2C%20Butler%20is%20averaging,exit%20against%20the%20Minnesota%20Timberwolves.">Jimmy Butler has been at the center of trade discussions</a>, most notably with the Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal. Although the deal would have some Suns fans rejoicing, a transaction wouldn’t be as simple as it seems. For starters, Beal has a no-trade clause. Meaning that he has the final say in where he wants to go. Even if the Suns and Heat have the perfect trade arranged, if Beal says no, then it can’t go through.</p><p>However, there’s more to the puzzle than simply Beal saying no. The contracts are interesting as well. NBA national reporter Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-latest-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153497921&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">made an intriguing point</a> that “Beal is a $50 million player this season, has two seasons left on his contract worth $110 million, and has missed 36% of his games as a Sun across a season-and-change in the desert.</p><p>“Phoenix, furthermore, cannot aggregate contracts in any trade, holds no control over its first-round draft pick for the next six years, and has only one future first-round pick (2031) and three second-rounders to package with Beal in a Butler trade offer.”</p><p>After previously giving up four first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets and two to the Washington Wizards, the franchise won’t have their draft pick for quite some time. Although they want to win an NBA championship right now, having assets for the future is important, too.</p><h2><b>The Heat and Suns would need other teams to make a Jimmy Butler and Bradley Beal trade happen</b></h2><p>A typical trade machine could have a straight-up deal occur. With a no-trade clause, salary constraints, and an expiring deal in the mix, many factors have to go both team’s ways. To make salaries work and to prevent taxing complications, the two teams would need a third or fourth team to facilitate.</p><p>Regardless of the speculation, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-bradley-beal-keeps-it-real-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors">Beal kept it real about a possible Butler trade.</a> It’s part of the business, and Beal explained in that article that it’s happened his entire career. While Phoenix has been a primary team engaged in a trade talk with the stars, many factors will have to go their way to secure a deal.</p><p>On the flip side, the Heat won’t likely want Beal on their roster. After all, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/bradley-beal-admits-that-heat-not-suns-were-his-initial-favorite-in-trade-talks/" rel="noopener">he wanted to go there before Phoenix</a>, and they didn’t make an effort to pursue him. It could leave a feeling of bitterness if the Suns guard ends up in Miami. Still, many factors need to play out to make the second blockbuster trade under Mat Ishbia’s ownership group happen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: How Heat feel about a Jimmy Butler-Bradley Beal trade swap

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/heat-news-jimmy-butler-gets-injury-update-for-nets-game-after-25-point-collapse');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat’s Jimmy Butler gets injury update for Nets game after 25-point collapse');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-gets-injury-update-for-Nets-game-after-25-point-collapse.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat’s Jimmy Butler gets injury update for Nets game after 25-point collapse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T13:43:39-08:00">December 22nd, 1:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T13:43:39-08:00">December 22nd, 1:43pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstras-blunt-reaction-to-historic-collapse-vs-magic">Miami Heat collapsed against the Orlando Magic</a> on Saturday night, they look to bounce back Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets, hoping to get back their main star Jimmy Butler. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness">Butler would leave last Friday’s loss</a> against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a stomach illness as his status for the team’s next contest has potentially been revealed.</p><p>As fans hope to have Butler back, the team would announce on their official X, formerly Twitter, page that he is <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870911054693474338" rel="noopener">“questionable”</a> with the illness. During the aforementioned defeat against the Thunder, Butler would leave towards the end of the first quarter where at first, it looked to be an ankle injury as he limped off the floor after a bang-bang play.</p><p>The team would then announce that he was “feeling ill” and wouldn’t return to the game as it was specified as a stomach bug that prevented him. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-gets-100-real-on-jimmy-butlers-early-exit-in-loss-to-thunderhttps://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-gets-100-real-on-jimmy-butlers-early-exit-in-loss-to-thunder">Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra would speak about Butler</a> entering the game with an illness and <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779" rel="noopener">expressed his thoughts about him playing.</a></p><p>“I’m not thinking any other thought,” Spoelstra said. “If guys say they can go, we’re going right now.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler being ill before the game.</p><p>“If guys say they can go, we’re going…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/DhamlZVHoG">pic.twitter.com/DhamlZVHoG</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Heat’s Bam Adebayo on the team’s mindset without Jimmy Butler</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-Dec.-16-2024.-1-1.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-heat-not-seeing-anything-great-yet-in-jimmy-butler-trade-talks">Butler and the Heat are surrounded with trade speculation</a>, they still have a season in front of them as getting the star back would be huge, especially after the dreadful loss to Orlando where they led by as much as 25 points. If he won’t be able to go, it will be on Heat All-Star hopeful Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo who spoke about having a <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870324691572834510" rel="noopener">next-man-up mentality.</a></p><p>“We got to figure this thing out,” Adebayo said. “You can’t harp on who’s in, who’s out. It’s about going out there and trying to get the W.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bam Adebayo on hearing that Jimmy Butler won’t be returning to the game.</p><p>“Next man up…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/2v4WXlbyyn">pic.twitter.com/2v4WXlbyyn</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870324691572834510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Miami made slight history Saturday night, but not in the way they would have liked as according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, “Teams with a 22-point lead or more entering the fourth quarter had gone <a href="https://x.com/ByTimReynolds/status/1870660572880241015" rel="noopener">796-0 in</a> NBA games since Dec. 22, 2019.” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-miami-collapse-magic-ends-796-nba-streak">The Heat had a 22-point lead</a> going into the final period and lost the game 121-114 as the Heat’s captain in Adebayo spoke about what went wrong and how the collapse is a <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article297430043.html" rel="noopener">“teaching point”</a> according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.</p><p>“It’s hard to get wins in this league,” Adebayo said. “The easiest thing to do is be mediocre and lose. For us, this is definitely a teaching point. Being up like that, how can we sustain our mindset to keep pushing forward.”</p><p>“I feel like we relaxed because we were up,” Adebayo continued. “I feel like that’s the karma of the game. You relax and then you let a team get hot, and then it goes the other way and you’re trying to fight back.”</p><h2><b>Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on the “tough lessons” learned </b></h2><p>One has to wonder if Butler would have played in the contest if the Heat would have prevailed, but it’s not like it was a close game throughout. Miami would finish the first half with 76 points which is a season-high for the team, but would break down in the fourth quarter where they scored a measly eight points as Spoelstra spoke about the “tough” aspects of the loss.</p><p>“These are tough lessons that we all have to learn,” Spoelstra said. “We all had our fingerprints in this loss in that fourth quarter, including myself.”</p><p>“These are tough a** lessons to complete a game,” Spoelstra continued. “This is the modern NBA right now. A 20-point lead is not what it was a decade ago and you have to finish all the way through.”</p><p>The Heat next face the Nets on Tuesday night, hoping to have Butler back as they are on a three-game skid just when they had a four-game winning streak recently.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat’s Jimmy Butler gets injury update for Nets game after 25-point collapse

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-heat-not-seeing-anything-great-yet-in-jimmy-butler-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Heat not seeing ‘anything great yet’ in Jimmy Butler trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Heat-not-seeing-anything-great-yet-in-Jimmy-Butler-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Heat not seeing ‘anything great yet’ in Jimmy Butler trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T09:51:34-08:00">December 22nd, 9:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T09:51:34-08:00">December 22nd, 9:51am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstras-blunt-reaction-to-historic-collapse-vs-magic">Miami Heat suffered a collapse Saturday night</a> to the Orlando Magic, the team is still surrounded by trade rumors involving star Jimmy Butler. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-gets-100-real-on-jimmy-butlers-early-exit-in-loss-to-thunder" rel="noopener">Heat star left last Friday’s game</a> against the Thunder with an illness as it amplified the speculation with some insight revealed about what the team has heard in possible trade talks.</p><p>On the social media app X, formerly Twitter, a user would ask Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson “Are they talking to teams Barry” in reference to the Heat. He would respond that they are “taking calls and listening but I don’t <a href="https://x.com/flasportsbuzz/status/1870522632787075111" rel="noopener">see anything great out there yet” </a>when talking about deals for the 35-year-old.</p><p>The original post by a user would be in response to Jackson speaking about the outcomes of the Heat not pursuing a trade for Butler and the likelihood of the star leaving in free agency with the team gaining nothing from it. However, he would say that the team has <a href="https://x.com/flasportsbuzz/status/1870520574973534445" rel="noopener">“no concern”</a> in losing the forward without conducting a trade.</p><p>“Now that Jimmy Butler has been linked to 7 teams by various national outlets, important to remind everyone: The idea of ‘losing Butler for nothing’ next summer is of absolutely no concern to Heat,” Jackson wrote Sunday. “Only rebuilding Nets have cap space to sign him. If Heat gets a great trade offer, they’re open to it. If not, as we and others have reported, they’re happy to take this into next summer.”</p><h2><b>The first four teams linked to the Heat’s Jimmy Butler </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-Dec.-16-2024.-2.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s important to look back where Jackson mentioned there are seven teams that have been connected to the Marquette product through recent reporting. This started when Shams Charania of ESPN reported that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers">Butler had preferred destinations</a> if he were to be traded and that the Heat are <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42878390/shams-charania-nba-pass-trade-intel-jimmy-butler-brandon-ingram-golden-state-warriors" rel="noopener">“open”</a> to offers with the three teams listed being the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and the. Golden State Warriors.</p><p>“The Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right, league sources told ESPN,” Charania wrote on Dec. 20. “And Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that Butler is open to destinations such as two Texas teams (Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks) and the Golden State Warriors.”</p><p>After that initial report from Charania, he would add another to the list being the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-suns-potential-jimmy-butler-trade-destinations">Phoenix Suns as a team Butler would open</a> to going to if he were to be dealt by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. This was a post on X as it garnered a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-agent-calls-out-shams-charania-amid-trade-rumors">visceral reaction from Butler’s agent</a> who called the report “fabricated.”</p><p>“The Phoenix Suns are another team that Jimmy Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that the six-time All-Star is open to as a destination while Miami listens to trade offers, sources tell ESPN, joining Dallas, Houston, and Golden State,” Charania reported on X.</p><h2><b>Three more teams have been “quietly mentioned” linking to Jimmy Butler</b></h2><p>The list of teams does not stop there as three more were added in new reporting from ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Seigel. He said that the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Lakers have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">“quietly mentioned in league circles” to Butler.</a></p><p>“Three other teams quietly mentioned in league circles are the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Lakers,” Seigel wrote. “Butler would be another great veteran leader for the Spurs to add next to Victor Wembanyama, and he could also really help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, a younger team that has championship potential right now. After all, Sam Presti and the Thunder have plenty of draft assets to pull off any trade they want at any moment.”</p><p>At any rate, there is no doubt that the situation regarding Miami and a possible trade for Butler will be monitored closely until the deadline, but there is still a season to be played. After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-miami-collapse-magic-ends-796-nba-streak">Heat’s collapse against the Magic</a>, they look to break their three-game skid against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Heat not seeing ‘anything great yet’ in Jimmy Butler trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-for-espn-hypothetical-suns-heat-76ers-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Suns-Heat-76ers deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-trade-grades-for-ESPNs-hypothetical-Suns-Heat-76ers-deal.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Suns-Heat-76ers deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T14:30:42-08:00">December 21st, 2:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T14:30:42-08:00">December 21st, 2:30pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Trade <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">rumors surrounding Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler continue to gain traction</a>, with ESPN’s Kevin Pelton proposing a hypothetical three-team deal involving the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. At 35 years old, Butler remains a top-tier player with a reputation for delivering in high-pressure situations, making him an attractive target for multiple teams. While the Suns are prominently featured in this proposal, other reported suitors include the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-spurs-thunder-named-dark-horse-jimmy-butler-trade-suitors">dark-horse candidates like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder</a>.</p><p>The hypothetical trade proposal aims to facilitate Butler’s move to Phoenix, with Bradley Beal <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43041391/how-jimmy-butler-preferred-trade-destinations-land-him" rel="noopener">heading</a> to Miami and Alec Burks joining Philadelphia. The proposed deal is as follows:</p><ul><li><i><b>Suns receive: Jimmy Butler</b></i></li><li><i><b>Heat receive: Bradley Beal, 2031 Suns first-round pick, 2031 Suns second-round pick, 2026 and 2031 Nuggets second-round picks (via Suns)</b></i></li><li><i><b>76ers receive: Alec Burks</b></i></li></ul><h2><b>Trade hurdles complicate Suns-Heat-76ers proposal for Jimmy Butler</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jimmy-Butler-22-is-defended-by-Detroit-Pistons-forward-Ronald-Holland-II-00.jpg"><figcaption>© Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While this trade could reshape all three franchises, several obstacles make its execution challenging. Beal’s no-trade clause is a significant hurdle, as he would need to waive it to make the deal possible. Additionally, the Miami Heat, sitting at 13-12 this season, would need to absorb the $110 million owed to Beal after this season, including his $57 million player option for 2026-27. Meanwhile, Butler’s current contract adds another layer of complexity. The Heat star is owed $48.7 million this season, with a player option for $52.4 million in 2025-26, further complicating Miami’s ability to maintain financial flexibility in any potential deal.</p><p>ESPN’s Bobby Marks addressed the financial implications for Miami, stating, “The money left on the Beal contract, plus the Suns’ lack of draft assets (they have only a 2031 first-round pick to trade) make a trade to Phoenix highly unlikely. Instead of taking on the money owed to Beal, the Heat would be better off extending Butler or working out a trade on their terms this summer.”</p><p>For the Suns, who hold a 14-12 record after an up-and-down start to the season, acquiring Butler would be a bold move aimed at solidifying their championship aspirations. Pelton noted that Phoenix would need to send out Alec Burks as part of the deal to avoid triggering a hard cap. “This is basically everything Phoenix can trade for Butler,” Pelton wrote. “The Suns probably would rather not add substantially to their tax bill to take back Burks, who could help Philadelphia with veteran guards Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry in and out of the 76ers’ rotation.”</p><h2><b>Suns trade grade: A</b></h2><p>Phoenix’s potential acquisition of Butler would address their need for a proven postseason performer. Despite similar regular-season production between Butler and Beal, Butler’s track record in critical moments sets him apart. During his six seasons in Miami, Butler has led the Heat to two NBA Finals and three Eastern Conference Finals appearances. This season, Butler is averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. His addition would immediately bolster a Suns team looking to improve upon last season’s disappointing first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><h2><b>Heat trade grade: C</b></h2><p>The Heat, known for their disciplined front-office strategies, would face substantial financial constraints by taking on Beal’s contract. While Beal is a productive scorer, averaging 17.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 50% shooting from the field and 36.7% from three, his hefty contract may limit Miami’s ability to build around their core. Additionally, the draft capital offered in this trade — limited to 2031 picks — is unlikely to entice a team like Miami that thrives on flexibility and long-term planning.</p><h2><b>76ers trade grade: B+</b></h2><p>Philadelphia, struggling with a 9-16 record amid injuries to key players like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, would benefit from adding Alec Burks. The veteran guard, currently averaging 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 45.7% shooting and a career-high 46.9% from three, provides much-needed depth for a rotation depleted by injuries. Burks’ one-year, $3.3 million contract is a low-risk addition that could help stabilize the 76ers’ backcourt as they navigate a challenging season.</p><h2><b>Uncertain outlook in a potential Butler trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butlers-22-looks-on-before-the-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Rhona Wise-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This hypothetical trade highlights the complexities of orchestrating a deal involving a superstar like Jimmy Butler. For Phoenix, Butler would represent a high-reward gamble aimed at elevating their playoff potential. Miami, however, would be saddled with a significant financial burden that may not align with their championship timeline. Philadelphia’s involvement adds balance to the deal, giving them a capable contributor to offset their injury woes. As trade discussions continue, the feasibility of such a move remains uncertain, but the stakes for all three franchises are undeniable.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Suns-Heat-76ers deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-espn-rockets-heat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Rockets-Heat deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-trade-grades-for-ESPNs-hypothetical-Rockets-Heat-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Rockets-Heat deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T12:48:59-08:00">December 21st, 12:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T12:51:26-08:00">December 21st, 12:51pm</time><address><a>Kris Pursiainen</a>Kris Pursiainen is an Associate Editor for all sports based in the NJ/NYC area. Kris brings several years of experience reporting on and writing about professional teams to the table. With experience all over the country as a New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Mets, Super Bowl LVIII, and Big East beat reporter, Kris has been breaking news and reporting on the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college basketball landscapes for years. Kris is a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The latest NBA star whose name is making headlines related to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">trade talks seems to be the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler</a>. At some point in every season in recent memory, a star player shakes loose and becomes available via trade. And despite leading the Heat to NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023, the latest rumors surrounding star-hungry teams such as the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs involve Butler.</p><p>Fans and analysts are flocking to trade machines to propose deals that find Butler a new home. It’s impossible to project what kind of return the Heat will want for Butler without knowing what they plan to do next. If the plan is to reshuffle the roster but remain competitive, the team would likely have to venture into the murky waters that represent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-linked-nuggets-trade-pursuits">Brandon Ingram’s trade market</a>.</p><p>But if Miami’s braintrust is of the opinion that this iteration of their team got their two best shots at a championship and just weren’t able to make either, the goal could be to tear it down. And then trading Butler for draft capital would become a priority. If young talent can be part of the salary that makes the deal work, so be it.</p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43041391/how-jimmy-butler-preferred-trade-destinations-land-him#trades" rel="noopener">One hypothetical deal</a> between the Heat and the Rockets, from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, fits the latter of those two paths forward. Pelton’s deal has Miami sending Butler to Houston in exchange for Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, and two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. The Heat would receive whichever pick is worse between the Rockets and Nets’ picks in 2027 as well as the second-best pick out of the Mavericks, Rockets, and Suns’ picks.</p><h2><b>Is trading Jimmy Butler too early better for the Heat than being too late?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-Heat-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>National analysts lambasted the New York Knicks for months after the Kristaps Porzingis deal. They were better off with the draft capital than paying him a max contract. The Los Angeles Lakers moved Brandon Ingram before he was due for his max deal and won a championship. Trading someone whose contract looks like it may impede your plans before it catalyzes them is not a free ticket to the NBA Playoffs. But pundits and fans alike malign the strategy, even if it is looked back on years later as having been intelligent.</p><p>The Heat should not care. If they’re going to reset their books and therefore their roster, they should be interested in setting up whoever is going to be in charge of the Miami Heat for success. It might be the same regime! It might not. If Pat Riley and the Heat are going to take a long-term approach, they should lean into it instead of pretending they’d like to remain competitive while slowly trading the teams’ best players away one-by-one.</p><p>Green (38) and Adams (still only 31, somehow) are on expiring contracts and would come off the books by June 2025 at the latest. Brooks is signed through the 2026-27 season on a team-friendly contract that descends in annual value until its expiration. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-dillon-brooks-top-10-villain-moments">Brooks’ toughness has manifested itself</a> in several ways throughout the years and he would fit “Heat Culture” well.</p><p>KP’s Trade Grade for the Miami Heat: <b>B+ </b></p><p>Houston could do better if their plan is to sacrifice future draft capital to upgrade their talent and acquire a star. Butler turned 35 years old in September and has a player option for next season that surpasses $52 million in salary. But two first-round draft selections is not an unreasonable economic barrier to entry for the Rockets. And Houston could combine Butler’s salary with young talent and additional draft capital for a star that fits their timeline better.</p><p>This return for Jimmy Butler will not excite people in the Miami Heat organization, locker room, or fanbase. But it might be the best move for the team going forward. That means Riley, and the rest of Miami’s braintrust, should consider it.</p><p>KP’s Trade Grade for the Houston Rockets: <b>C</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Rockets-Heat deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/heat-news-is-jimmy-butler-playing-vs-magic-latest-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is Heat’s Jimmy Butler playing vs. Magic? Latest injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Heat-news-Is-Jimmy-Butler-playing-vs.-Magic-Latest-injury-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Is Heat’s Jimmy Butler playing vs. Magic? Latest injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T10:45:28-08:00">December 21st, 10:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T10:45:28-08:00">December 21st, 10:45am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-vs-magic-prediction-odds-pick-12-21-2024">Miami Heat take on the Orlando Magic</a> in the second game of a back-to-back, there are some questions about the availability of star Jimmy Butler. During the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-leaves-first-quarter-leads-to-loss-over-okc">Heat’s loss to the Oklahoma Cty Thunder</a> on Friday night, Butler left the game in the first quarter due to a stomach illness as the team has announced his listing for the game.</p><p>Here’s everything we know about Jimmy Butler’s injury and his playing status vs the Magic.</p><p>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</p><h2><b>Jimmy Butler injury status vs. Magic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-Dec.-16-2024.-1.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Miami announced via their X, formerly Twitter, page that Butler is <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870530716070773053" rel="noopener">“doubtful”</a> for the game with the illness as Kevin Love (personal reasons) and Josh Richardson (heel) are out.</p><p>Before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness">Butler left the game</a>, it would appear it was due to an ankle injury as he looked to have twisted it on a turnover with 4:41 left in the first quarter. However, he would go to the bench, ask for an item from a trainer, and then go straight to the locker room where the team announced he left the game because Butler was <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870282878795280686" rel="noopener">“feeling ill.”</a></p><p>It would later be specified as a “stomach illness” that he appeared to have going into the game judging by Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779" rel="noopener">response about the situation.</a></p><p>“I’m not thinking any other thought,” Spoelstra said. “No, if guys say they can go, we’re going right now.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler being ill before the game.</p><p>“If guys say they can go, we’re going…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/DhamlZVHoG">pic.twitter.com/DhamlZVHoG</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>As a Heat spokesperson told ClutchPoints Friday night, Butler would not travel with the team to Orlando, but there would be a possibility that he re-join the team. Still, the “doubtful” listing leads to the fact that Butler is most likely to miss Saturday’s game against the in-state rival.</p><h2><b>Heat had to adjust “on the fly” without Jimmy Butler in loss to Thunder</b></h2><p>Spoelstra spoke about <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321411363057697" rel="noopener">how the team had to adjust on the fly</a> when Butler came out suddenly.</p><p>“That’s a very good defense, so are we,” Spoelstra said. “I think this was probably a throwback game, just in terms of how many efforts were made on both sides of the floor, but they’re active. When you have open windows, you have to be able to attack, take advantage of them, or they’re gone. And that’s the best thing that happens if they’re gone, like you know, the worst thing is it can be a deflection steal, which they did that a handful of times, but, you know, for the most part, I thought we managed that.”</p><p>“In terms of some of the finer points of execution that certainly could have been better,” Spoelstra continued. “But doing it on the fly without Jimmy, you know, you just got to do whatever you have to do to try to get it to a possession game. We’re pretty, pretty close to that. There were some swing possessions, offense and defense, both, both ends of the court the last three, four minutes that could have gone more in our favor. You know, that’s the unfortunate thing.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra after the loss to OKC.</p><p>“That’s a very good defense…some of the finer points of execution, that certainly could’ve been better, but doing it on the fly without Jimmy, you just got to do whatever you have to do to try to get it to a possession game…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/QdDtGjsSr3">pic.twitter.com/QdDtGjsSr3</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321411363057697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Players such as Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro would cite a “next-man-up” mentality with Butler absent as they both had productive games. Even the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-bam-adebayo-keeps-it-100-on-playing-with-seven-stitches-vs-thunder">Heat center had to get seven stitches</a> to get back in the game.</p><p>Amidst <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">Butler and the Heat involved in trade rumors</a>, there is no doubt it will be amplified with the illness, but the team still has a season to play which continues Saturday against the Magic.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Heat’s Jimmy Butler playing vs. Magic? Latest injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-gets-100-real-on-jimmy-butlers-early-exit-in-loss-to-thunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gets 100% real on Jimmy Butler’s early exit in loss to Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Heat-news-Erik-Spoelstra-gets-100-real-on-Jimmy-Butlers-early-exit-in-loss-to-Thunder.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gets 100% real on Jimmy Butler’s early exit in loss to Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T21:10:41-08:00">December 20th, 9:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T21:10:41-08:00">December 20th, 9:10pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MIAMI – As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-leaves-first-quarter-leads-to-loss-over-okc">Miami Heat lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> on Friday night, 104-97, another aspect could impact the team in the short term. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness">Heat star Jimmy Butler would leave the game</a> early with an illness as head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about the situation and how it affected the team’s output against the Thunder.</p><p>ClutchPoints can confirm that Butler won’t travel with the team as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-vs-magic-prediction-odds-pick-12-21-2024">Heat face the Orlando Magic</a> in the second game of the back-to-back Saturday night, but there is still a <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870330424473346278" rel="noopener">possibility that he can re-join the team</a>. Spoelstra would imply after the loss that Butler had an illness coming into the game as he said <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779" rel="noopener">“If guys say they can, we’re going.”</a></p><p>“I’m not thinking any other thought,” Spoelstra said. “No, if guys say they can go, we’re going right now.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler being ill before the game.</p><p>“If guys say they can go, we’re going…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/DhamlZVHoG">pic.twitter.com/DhamlZVHoG</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321593215307779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The stomach illness that Butler had came as a slight shock since it was believed to be an ankle injury after he appeared to have twisted it with under eight minutes left in the first quarter when he was limping off the floor. However, he would ask the trainer for an item and go straight to the locker room afterward as <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870282878795280686" rel="noopener" target="_blank">he wouldn’t come back</a> as announced by the team on X, formerly Twitter.</p></figure><p>Still, Miami kept it close throughout the game with another exceptional performance from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-tyler-herro-drops-worthy-all-star-admission">Heat All-Star hopeful Tyler Herro</a> who finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. However, it would be the Thunder dynamic duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams that combined for 58 points, 33 and 25 respectively.</p><h2><b>Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on adapting “on the fly” without Jimmy Butler</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Erik-Spoelstra-on-Dec.-20-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Rhona Wise-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Spoelstra would also shout out Oklahoma City’s superb defense holding Miami to shooting 43,4 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. He would mention <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321411363057697" rel="noopener">how they had to adapt on the fly</a> without Butler who would not attempt a single shot in the seven minutes played.</p><p>“That’s a very good defense, so are we,” Spoelstra said. “I think this was probably a throwback game, just in terms of how many efforts were made on both sides of the floor, but they’re active. When you have open windows, you have to be able to attack, take advantage of them, or they’re gone. And that’s the best thing that happens if they’re gone, like you know, the worst thing is it can be a deflection steal, which they did that a handful of times, but, you know, for the most part, I thought we managed that.”</p><p>“In terms of some of the finer points of execution that certainly could have been better,” Spoelstra continued. “But doing it on the fly without Jimmy, you know, you just got to do whatever you have to do to try to get it to a possession game. We’re pretty, pretty close to that. There were some swing possessions, offense and defense, both, both ends of the court the last three, four minutes that could have gone more in our favor. You know, that’s the unfortunate thing.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra after the loss to OKC.</p><p>“That’s a very good defense…some of the finer points of execution, that certainly could’ve been better, but doing it on the fly without Jimmy, you just got to do whatever you have to do to try to get it to a possession game…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/QdDtGjsSr3">pic.twitter.com/QdDtGjsSr3</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870321411363057697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Heat’s Bam Adebayo on mindset of the team without Jimmy Butler </b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/exclusive-bam-adebayo-embracing-love-hate-relationship-with-heat-captain-title">The Heat’s captain in Bam Adebayo would</a> have a standout game as not only did he have 17 points and 10 rebounds, he would leave the game after getting hit in the face, but received seven stitches and returned to the game. He would express a <a href="https://x.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870324691572834510" rel="noopener">“next man up”</a> mentality about Butler’s absence.</p><p>“Next man up. We checked on him at halftime, but we got to figure this thing out,” Adebayo said. “You can’t harp on who’s in, who’s out, it’s about going out there and trying to get the W.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bam Adebayo on hearing that Jimmy Butler won’t be returning to the game.</p><p>“Next man up…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/2v4WXlbyyn">pic.twitter.com/2v4WXlbyyn</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1870324691572834510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><br>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-why-bam-adebayo-isnt-focused-on-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors">trade rumors involving Butler and the Heat</a>, there is no doubt it will be amplified, but the team is focused on the matchups in front of them. They are on a two-game losing streak going into the game Saturday night against the Magic as it remains to be seen what Butler’s status will be.</p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gets 100% real on Jimmy Butler’s early exit in loss to Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/heat-news-jimmy-butler-leaves-first-quarter-leads-to-loss-over-okc');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat’s Jimmy Butler leaves first quarter, leads to loss over OKC');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/title-tbd-3-Heat-takeaways-from-win-loss-vs-Thunder.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat’s Jimmy Butler leaves first quarter, leads to loss over OKC</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T19:29:50-08:00">December 20th, 7:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T19:29:50-08:00">December 20th, 7:29pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MIAMI – It was a frustrating Friday night as while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness">Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler left the game with an illness</a>, the team would end up losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, 104-97. While rumors surrounding Butler and a possible Heat trade still linger, the focus now will be on his health and what that means for the upcoming schedule.</p><p>Tyler Herro would lead the team with 28 points and 12 rebounds while Bam Adebayo had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Butler would record only seven minutes with two assists, not even attempting a shot.</p><p>Here are three takeaways from the Heat’s loss against the Thunder on Friday night:</p><h2><b>Jimmy Butler leaves first half, Bam Adebayo and Tyler leading Heat</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bam-Adebayo-on-Dec-20-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Rhona Wise-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Miami and Oklahoma City would have a back-and-forth affair until the tides changed for the home team when a turnover led to Butler colliding with Luguentz Dort, looking to have twisted and hurt his ankle. He would limp off the floor, go to the bench, and ask for something from a team trainer before he headed straight to the locker room with 4:41 left in the first quarter.</p><p>It would be announced on the team’s official X, formerly Twitter, account that Butler would miss the rest of the game, but it would not be because of any type of leg injury, but because he was <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870282878795280686" rel="noopener">“feeling ill.”</a> No doubt it was a turn of events as it would be later reported by NBA insider Chris Haynes that he has a <a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1870283540056945027" rel="noopener">“stomach bug.”</a> He would leave the game without taking a shot.</p><p>With all the news surrounding <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-why-bam-adebayo-isnt-focused-on-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors">trade rumors involving the Heat and Butler</a>, add that with another issue of an illness, the team wouldn’t back down in the first half without their best player. Miami would trail by just three at halftime while it would be rough sledding without Butler at first as Oklahoma City led by as much as nine points, they started to find some groove on both sides of the ball in the second period.</p><p>Heat star Nikola Jovic would act as a spark plug once again, scoring seven points in eight minutes mixed with solid performances from Herro and Adebayo. Miami shot 42.9 percent from the field and five of 20 from deep as Thunder shot 47.6 percent from the field and eight of 20 from three-point range.</p><h2><b>Heat dealt with more adversity in the second half</b></h2><p>As the Heat had to deal with Butler being unable to return to the game, they almost dealt with the same fate with their other star Adebayo who went to the locker room after getting an elbow to the face. However, he would come back to the team’s bench with 4:17 left in the third quarter as Miami announced that he had a <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870295728750203368" rel="noopener">“cut above his left eye and is receiving stitches.”</a></p><p>Seven stitches in fact as he came back into the game as already with one star down, Adebayo didn’t want to make that two, though Herro was once again impressive in a huge game. At one point, the team would have a hot stretch where they took a one-point lead with under eight minutes left in the third even with Butler and Adebayo off the floor.</p><p>However, Oklahoma City would use their strengths to further control the game and have their largest lead of 11 at the end of the third period. Gilgeous-Alexander would excel in the frame with 13 points as he along with star teammate Jalen Williams would combine for 54 of the team’s 98 points when there were just over three minutes left in the game.</p><p>Miami would not go down without a fight in the fourth quarter, even dwindling the deficit to five points at one moment, but the Thunder would close it out with enough offense from their stars. Gilgeous-Alexander finished 25 points as Williams had a game-high 33 points.</p><p>The backbreaking statistic was that the Heat had committed 19 turnovers which led to a whopping 27 points for the other side.</p><h2><b>Heat finish back-to-back, have a tough road schedule with Butler question</b></h2><p>The loss by the team no doubt hurts for several reasons as it’s the first game of the weekend’s back-to-back where there were several missed opportunities against a top-seeded team in the Thunder. The other deals with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers">Heat’s main star in Butler amidst trade rumors</a> that no doubt will amplify with the absence as though he looked to twist his ankle, he was gone with an illness.</p><p>The short-term question is if with the illness, will Butler be able to play the night after against the Orlando Magic as the team looks to get back in a win column. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-why-miamis-41-point-win-vs-lakers-can-spark-major-turning-point">Heat looked to make a turning point</a> with the prior four-game winning streak as the goal is to not lose that momentum, but the defeats to the Detroit Pistons last Monday and now Friday to the Thunder stall it for now.</p><p>Including Saturday’s game against Orlando, the Heat are on the road for the next four of five games with the exception of next Monday against the Brooklyn Nets. Fans no doubt want to hear good news about Butler in the foreseeable future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat’s Jimmy Butler leaves first quarter, leads to loss over OKC

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jimmy-butler-leaves-thunder-game-early-with-illness');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jimmy Butler leaves Thunder game early with illness');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-leaves-Thunder-game-early-with-illness.jpg"></figure><h1>Jimmy Butler leaves Thunder game early with illness</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T18:16:10-08:00">December 20th, 6:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T18:16:43-08:00">December 20th, 6:16pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat had a big clash with the Western Conference leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, but it appears as if they’re going to have finish the game a little short-handed. Heat star Jimmy Butler <a href="https://x.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1870282878795280686">left the game</a> in the first half due to an illness and will not return, the team announced via social media. The Heat, who came into the game at 13-11, were down only single digits in the second quarter as of publication.</p><p>With Butler out for the remainder of the game, they Heat will certainly need players like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to step up. Prior to leaving the game, Butler hadn’t taken a shot and had two assists in seven minutes. Herro was leading the way for the Heat at halftime with a team-high 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.</p><p>Coming into the game against the Thunder, the Heat upgraded both Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic to available while they downgraded Josh Richardson to out as he deals with a heel injury. Jimmy Butler’s illness moving forward is certainly something to monitor for the Heat.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-spurs-thunder-named-dark-horse-jimmy-butler-trade-suitors">Butler has been the subject of trade rumors</a> recently and his name has come up in headlines. He has the opportunity to hit free agency in the offseason should he decline his player option. Otherwise his current contract runs through next season and he will hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason of 2026.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-makes-bonkers-triple-double-history-despite-loss-to-pistons">Butler is still playing at an All-Star level</a> and is an asset to either the Heat, or another team should they opt to trade him. He’s appeared in 19 games this season at a little over 32 minutes per game.</p><p>He’s been averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 55.2 percent shooting from the field, 35.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 78.2 percent shooting from free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jimmy Butler leaves Thunder game early with illness

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-spurs-thunder-named-dark-horse-jimmy-butler-trade-suitors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Spurs, Thunder named dark horse Jimmy Butler trade suitors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Spurs-Thunder-named-dark-horse-Jimmy-Butler-trade-suitors.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Spurs, Thunder named dark horse Jimmy Butler trade suitors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T14:03:50-08:00">December 20th, 2:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T14:58:10-08:00">December 20th, 2:58pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">trade market for Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler continues to generate speculation</a> as the February 6 deadline approaches. NBA Insider Brett Siegel recently reported that the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Lakers have been “quietly mentioned” in league circles as potential suitors for Butler, adding to the growing list of teams linked to the six-time All-Star.</p><h2><b>Jimmy Butler’s name gains traction despite agent’s denial</b></h2><p>Over a week ago, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-shams-charania-doubles-down-jimmy-butler-reporting-despite-agents-backlash">Butler’s name appeared in a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania</a>, which suggested the Heat might explore trade options for the 35-year-old forward. However, Butler’s agent quickly dismissed these claims. Despite the rebuttal, the rumors persist, with more teams reportedly joining the mix.</p><p>ESPN recently named the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-espn-names-nuggets-spurs-wild-cards-path-jimmy-butler-trade">Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs as potential destinations</a>, while Siegel’s latest report adds the Oklahoma City Thunder to the conversation. Initially, the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns were the primary teams mentioned in connection to Butler.</p><h2><b>Thunder present intriguing case in potential trade with the Heat</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-2-passes-the-ball-against-the-Orlando-Magic.jpg"><figcaption>© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The inclusion of the Thunder in trade rumors creates an intriguing possibility for both Oklahoma City and Miami. Oklahoma City, currently atop the Western Conference standings at 21-5, boasts a strong core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. Adding Butler to this mix would elevate the Thunder into serious title contention, providing the playoff experience and leadership they lacked during last season’s second-round exit to the Dallas Mavericks.</p><p>The Thunder have a wealth of assets to offer, with 33 draft picks over the next seven years, including multiple first-round selections. To acquire Jimmy Butler, Oklahoma City would need to package players such as Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isiah Joe to match Butler’s $48.7 million salary, along with multiple draft picks. Miami could also inquire about Jalen Williams’ availability, though his inclusion in any deal remains uncertain.</p><h2><b>Spurs remain a wild card</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Victor-Wembanyama-1-celebrates-in-the-second-half-against-the-Atlanta-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>© Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Spurs, also <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43041391/how-jimmy-butler-preferred-trade-destinations-land-him" rel="noopener">named</a> in ESPN’s report, could structure a trade around Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Harrison Barnes, and a 2025 first-round pick. San Antonio, currently sitting at 14-13 and 11th in the Western Conference, is unlikely to contend for a title this season but may view Butler as a veteran presence to pair with rising star Victor Wembanyama.</p><p>Butler’s playoff pedigree, combined with Wembanyama’s development, could position the Spurs for sustained success in the coming years. However, San Antonio’s willingness to part with key assets to acquire Butler remains uncertain.</p><h2><b>Lakers prioritize other targets over Butler</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lakers-forward-LeBron-James-23-walks-towards-the-team-bench.jpg"><figcaption>© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Siegel included the Lakers in the list of potential suitors, he characterized the possibility as “nothing more than fan fiction.” Los Angeles, currently focused on bolstering its frontcourt and adding two-way wings alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, is unlikely to take on Butler’s hefty contract at this time.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lakers-3-clear-needs-ahead-of-trade-deadline">Lakers are reportedly targeting other trade options</a>, including Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets forwards Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Johnson and Finney-Smith bring versatility as defenders and floor spacers, while Valančiūnas offers the interior presence Los Angeles needs to complement its star duo. This focused strategy reduces the likelihood of pursuing Butler, given his significant salary and the team’s priorities.</p><p>As trade rumors swirl, the Thunder and Spurs emerge as intriguing dark horse candidates for Jimmy Butler. Oklahoma City’s draft capital and San Antonio’s young assets provide unique opportunities for the Heat, should they decide to move their veteran star. Meanwhile, the Lakers appear to be steering their attention toward other trade options as the February 6 deadline approaches. Butler’s future remains a focal point in ongoing league discussions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Spurs, Thunder named dark horse Jimmy Butler trade suitors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-bradley-beal-keeps-it-real-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Bradley Beal keeps it real on Jimmy Butler trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Suns-news-Bradley-Beal-keeps-it-real-on-Phoenix-Jimmy-Butler-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns’ Bradley Beal keeps it real on Jimmy Butler trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T13:32:24-08:00">December 20th, 1:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T13:32:24-08:00">December 20th, 1:32pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">Jimmy Butler trade rumors</a> continue to circulate about the Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal. The Suns guard explained via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports after Friday’s practice that <a href="https://x.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1870207447765278985" rel="noopener">he’s not worried</a> about any potential trade.</p><p>“The same thing until one of them comes and says something to me and talks to me. It’s just out there. I’m a Phoenix Sun, and I’m here, and I’m in a uniform, but I don’t pay attention to that, man. They did that with me for 10 years”</p><p>Beal was involved in trade discussions throughout his time with the Washington Wizards. To him, this is simply white noise. However, a Butler trade could happen. There would be salaries to work out, and the Suns are <a href="https://arizonasports.com/story/3559754/suns-second-apron-towns-trade/" rel="noopener">currently in the second tax apron</a>. Meaning that they would have to pay out of pocket for more contracts going over the NBA salary cap.</p><p>Suns owner Mat Ishbia has made it clear that he’s not worried about spending money to win. Despite that, though, the Suns traded for Bradley Beal before the 2023-24 season and started a Big 3. It hasn’t worked out in their favor, as they were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fast forward to this season, and the trio hasn’t been healthy.</p><h2><b>Could the Suns trade Bradley Beal for Jimmy Butler?</b></h2><p>There’s an interesting component of any realistic trade involving Beal and Butler. The Phoenix guard has a no-trade clause, meaning he can veto a trade if one is presented. Also, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-bradley-beal-reveals-why-desired-miami-trade-never-happened">Beal originally wanted to go to the Miami Heat</a>, but they didn’t want to trade for him. Now, the roles could be reversed. The Heat could want Beal, but he may not want to go.</p><p>Furthermore, the salaries would have to match. The two teams couldn’t do a trade straight up, so some help is necessary. A third and possibly fourth team is likely to make a trade work. Still, incorporating more teams could make matters worse for both teams. Regardless, Beal will look to keep the main thing, the main thing.</p><p>With Devin Booker’s injury, Phoenix is limited in its star power. After all, Kevin Durant and Beal have both missed significant time this season. While it can be an opportunity for Beal to up his trade stock, that’s not the main objective. It’s about producing wins and building a good rhythm with one of the top options out. Even with the news circling Beal, he’ll have to keep focusing on basketball and establish camaraderie with his teammates through the injury troubles surrounding the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.5	5.8	4.9	0.4	1.3

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.5	5.8	4.9	0.4	1.3

Jimmy Butler news

Jimmy
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