Jimmy Butler’s name continues to remain in the headlines. The 35-year-old has been constantly linked with a move away from the Miami Heat in recent weeks with teams like the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets suggested as possible destinations.

Butler has a player option for next season but it has been widely reported that he prefers to be traded by the Heat before the February 6 deadline.

On the other hand, Pat Riley has released a public statement saying that the Heat are not trading Butler.

Amid all this, one issue has taken a backseat. That is Butler’s continuous struggle to get on the court.

Butler has already dealt with a couple of fitness issues this season and is currently out due to an illness. Will he play in the Heat’s next game against the Atlanta Hawks? The answer is no.

The Heat have announced on X that Butler (return to competition reconditioning) has been ruled out of the game against the Hawks. He will remain in Miami and rejoin the team after the road trip.

That means that Butler will miss at least the next two games. The one against the Hawks and the following one when they meet the Rockets.

Butler’s constant unavailability is believed to be a key reason why the Heat did not hand him a max extension in the summer. And it is safe to say that the situation has not improved much, as he has already missed a bunch of games this season.

Trading for Butler would come with a lot of risk for teams. Let’s take the Golden State Warriors for example. They need to provide Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with some much-needed help. But is a 35-year-old who is constantly unavailable the answer for them?