I’ve been hearing whispers about potential issues between Butler and the Heat organization for months now. Sources close to the situation indicated that the Heat were hesitant to offer Butler a contract extension, which reportedly left him feeling undervalued and frustrated.
Butler’s recent press conference comments, where he stated he may never regain his joy for playing basketball while with the Heat, seem to confirm these tensions. His on-court performance has also noticeably dipped, with Butler appearing disengaged and putting up subpar numbers.
From a fantasy perspective, Butler’s potential departure raises questions about who might step up in his absence. However, looking at games where Butler has been out this season, no clear beneficiary has emerged. Players like Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson have failed to consistently produce starter-level fantasy numbers in Butler’s absence.
Kel’el Ware’s Breakout Performance
In other Heat news, rookie center Kel’el Ware had a monster game against the Indiana Pacers, putting up 25 points, three three-pointers, and three blocks. While this performance is certainly eye-catching, I’d caution against rushing to add Ware in most fantasy leagues.
Several factors contributed to Ware’s big night, including Bam Adebayo’s limited minutes and an extremely hot shooting streak in garbage time. While Ware has likely secured the backup center role, his playing time and production are unlikely to remain this high on a consistent basis.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Jimmy Butler situation and its fantasy implications, tune into the Locked On Fantasy Basketball podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Fantasy Basketball Podcast:
• Tyrese Haliburton’s monster stat line against the Celtics
• D’Angelo Russell and Cam Johnson leave game with injuries
