Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler Suffers Another Injury In Victory Over Hornets

Jake Elman | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) passes during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler may be headed back to the injury report.

Butler, who missed four games earlier this month with an ankle injury, was absent for the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s victory over the Charlotte Hornets with a back ailment. He sat on the bench with a heating pad. 

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the win Butler had a “tight back.” His status for Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors is unknown.

Butler recorded six points, four rebounds, and three assists in 25 minutes Wednesday night. Butler is no stranger to injuries keeping him sidelined, especially during his Heat tenure. The All-Star hasn’t played more than 64 games in a full season since joining the team in 2019.

One must wonder if Butler’s heavy workload earlier in his career is catching up with him. He averaged 37.8 minutes from 2013-17, his age 24 through 27 seasons. Butler led all NBA players in average minutes (38.7) in 2015.

Butler’s durability issues raise questions about his value as a trade candidate for the Heat. If Miami is concerned about a 35-year-old Butler holding up in the postseason, could they be more tempted to deal him in the coming months?

The risk of trading Butler, who will hit unrestricted free agency next summer, is the Heat would give up arguably their top scoring option. Butler is averaging 18.4 points on 52.6 percent shooting.

Although Tyler Herro has taken a much more significant role this season, the Heat still need a healthy Butler if they plan on competing for a championship. Unless, of course, they’re planning on trading him for another high-quality shooter.

For now, the Heat need Butler to get healthy. Miami is 8-8 with matchups against the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers looming next week. 

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.