Heat's Jimmy Butler Has Knee Injury, Reportedly Not Believed to Be 'Serious'

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is dealing with right knee tendinitis, though the ailment isn't considered to be serious, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

The ailment is in the same knee that Butler has had issues with in the past, Chiang added.

By his standards, Butler hasn't gotten off to the best start this season. Through three games, he's averaging 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 32.5 percent from the floor.

The 34-year-old was held out of Miami's 106-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday for rest before returning to the lineup for Monday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Butler entered the 2023-24 season coming off one of the best years of his career. In 64 games last season, he averaged 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from deep.

The 2011 first-round pick led Miami all the way to the NBA Finals as underdogs, where it fell to the Denver Nuggets.

Butler has appeared in at least 52 games a season since joining the Heat in 2019, and his health will be vital to Miami's success this season after the franchise missed out on acquiring star point guard Damian Lillard, who was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Bucks.

Miami is currently 1-3 on the season and the Heat will be looking for their second win of the year against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.