Mike Richman here, the host of the daily Locked On Blazers podcast, with your daily Locked On Blazers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Blazers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
League at Large
Jimmy Butler speaks
Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms-up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Kaseya Center. | Jim Rassol/Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
After weeks of downplay by his agent and denials by Heat president Pat Riley, Jimmy Butler has finally said the quiet part out loud to a room of postgame media about his future in Miami.
“What do I want to see happen? I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball, wherever that may be — we’ll find out here pretty soon — but I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I’m not doing that,” Butler said.
In a quick follow up, Butler was asked whether he thought he could get his joy back with the Heat.
“Probably not,” he said without any hesitation.
As a Butler in Miami believer, my surprise stems from the state of the team. That the front office has let the Heat’s roster slowly erode to the strange place of competitive limbo they find themselves in. Losing key role players, like Max Strus and Caleb Martin, plus offensive gap fillers like Gabe Vincent, has left the Heat without much depth. The undeniable talent of Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro — who is having one of his best seasons, despite it all — and sophomore Jamie Jaquez Jr. is there, and for years Duncan Robinson has worked to be whatever the team needs him to be, but the scrappy longevity and the plucky punches this team was capable of pulling two and three seasons ago are gone.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Replay In a gripping showdown, the Portland Trail Blazers faced the Los Angeles Lakers. Key performances by LeBron James and Anfernee Simons defined the game. (Blazer’s Edge)
Replay The Portland Trail Blazers battled the Los Angeles Lakers with notable highlights from Deni Avdija and JJ Redick. The game recap captures all the excitement. (Blazer’s Edge)
Honor Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum lead the first voting results for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. Trail Blazers fans will be excited to see their stars’ standings. (Bleacher Report)
Honor Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards calls Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the “MVP of the NBA.”(ESPN)
Injury Pistons Jaden Ivey undergoes surgery to repair his broken fibula, and his earliest timeline for return is four weeks. (SportsNet)
Watch Charles Barkley calls out JJ Redick over NBA ratings comments, “dead man walking.” (Awful Announcing)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Jimmy Butler’s Trade Request Shakes Up Miami Heat & Fantasy Basketball
Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks on from the bench during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol/Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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.
Click the button below to get the inside scoop on a rookie center’s breakout game.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Blazers podcasts.
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Can the Trail Blazers Follow The Houston Rockets Rebuild Path? | Game Preview with Locked On Rockets A crossover edition of the show with Jackson Gatlin of Locked On Rockets, previewing the Trail Blazers two games against the Rockets on Friday and Saturday.
