Heat's Jimmy Butler out vs. Trail Blazers Because of Back Injury

Miami Heat swingman Jimmy Butler will miss Sunday evening's game against the Portland Trail Blazers with what the team described as a back injury.

Derrick Jones Jr. will slide into the starting five alongside Bam Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn, Meyers Leonard and Duncan Robinson.

Durability has been a concern for the Marquette product in recent years. He appeared in 65 games last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers and 59 games in 2017-18 with Minnesota. He has played more than 70 games in a season only twice in his career.

Miami can ill afford to be without Butler for long as it jostles for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat acquired the four-time All-Star, four-time All-Defensive and two-time All-NBA selection this offseason to serve as the go-to option on offense and a wing player who could stick with the opponent's best player on defense. He has responded with 20.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game across 31 starts in his first season with the team.

While the Heat don't have anyone else who can do a little bit of everything like Butler, there are other options on the perimeter.

Look for the combination of Jones, Robinson, Nunn and rookie first-rounder Tyler Herro to see even more time.