Will Jimmy Butler Play Tonight vs Rockets? Heat Injury Report Amid Rampant Trade Rumors

11-10! When it comes to facing the Houston Rockets, Jimmy Butler has held a slight edge over the course of his NBA career. A major contribution to the win numbers on that record was the 7-game win streak on which the player has been since he teamed up with the Miami Heat. Therefore, with the Heat currently on a 15-14 record during the ongoing season, another win would go a long way in improving their condition. Unfortunately, Jimmy Butler’s injuries still prevents him from making his presence on the paint known.

According to the Miami Heat Injury Report, Jimmy Butler continues to be listed as ‘OUT’. Therefore, the player is now set to miss his 5 consecutive game when his squad faces the Houston Rockets.

He is not the only one on the report. Dru Smith had sustained a torn Achilles tendon during the Miami Heat’s 110-95 win against the Brooklyn Nets. As a result, he will now be ‘OUT’ for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Josh Richardson hasn’t played a single game since the Philadelphia 76ers matchup back in mid-November, as he continues to recover from his heel ailment. Currently possessing a ‘Questionable’ status, however, it seems that he is on the path to recovery.

Jimmy Butler had reportedly tweaked his ankle during the Heat’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He left the court after having played for only seven minutes. He could only score 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 2 assists within that period. However, the Heat ended up ruling him out for the rest of the game with a stomach illness! Now, being under a “return to competition reconditioning” diagnosis, it seems that the illness phase has left the player.

The veteran’s trouble with these ailments come just as rumors were spreading havoc about trade rumors involving him. In fact, Shams Charania released a report, less than a week ago, that claimed “Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, league sources told ESPN”. The now ESPN Insider attributed this to Jimmy Butler’s desire about a proper extension deal not being fulfilled. Furthermore, the Heat reportedly were not able to provide the small forward with a roster he could work with.

However, as the discussion continued to escalate, team president Pat Riley came out to squash the rumors. In an official statement, he revealed “We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear – We are not trading Jimmy Butler.” In light of this update, Miami Heat fans can presume that Butler will move back into the starting five, and possibly play his usual minutes, once he completes his reconditioning program. Unfortunately, it seems that it won’t be before the Houston Rockets matchup.

Speaking of the Rockets, their injury woes are a little bit better than their rivals. After all, they only have 2 players listed as ‘OUT’ for the upcoming game. It was only three-and-a-half weeks ago when Eason sustained a concussion during a matchup against the Sacramento Kings. He missed the next 2 games, but returned to take on the Golden State Warriors. Now, the 23-year-old power forward will miss a 6 consecutive game due to left lower leg injury management. Meanwhile, Dillon Brooks will miss his 4 consecutive matchup due to a right ankle soreness.

In light of these updates, both teams will have to make adjustments to their starting lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Heat-Rockets game look like?

With Jimmy Butler continuing to remain absent, Jaime Jaquez Jr. will most likely remain in the Miami Heat’s starting lineup. Over the course of the ongoing season, the player has participated in 25 games, and started in 4. In an average playtime of 21.8 minutes, he has averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. This is certainly not enough when one looks to cover for someone like Jimmy Butler. However, Jaime Jaquez Jr. can still be of assistance while others like Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo, can handle leading the offense.

Therefore, with this update, the starting lineup for the Miami Heat may look something like this:

Similarly, given the updates for the Houston Rockets, their starting lineup may look like this:

The Miami Heat or the Houston Rockets? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming matchup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.