According to the Miami Heat’s official Twitter account, forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for Thursday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
#MIAvsBKN INJURY UPDATE: Jimmy Butler (toe), P.J. Tucker (knee) & Kyle Lowry (personal reasons) have all been ruled out of tonight's game vs the Nets.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 3, 2022
Coach Spo says Max Strus (shoulder) and Caleb Martin (Achilles) will both warm up with the intent to play.
The 32-year-old will join starting point guard Kyle Lowry (personal reasons) and P.J. Tucker (knee) on the Heat sideline.
Butler, coming off a season-low six points in Wednesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, is said to be dealing with irritation in his left big toe. This will be his first missed contest since January 31.
Max Strus ($4,100 on FanDuel) should make for a solid DFS value play in Butler’s absence. The last time Butler was forced out of action, Strus exploded for 27 points, adding three rebounds and two assists – 32.6 FanDuel points.
Meanwhile, forward Bam Adebayo and guard Tyler Herro are in line for an uptick in production. With Butler off the floor, Adebayo and Herro average 1.26 and 1.03 FanDuel points per minute, respectively, making both men elite plays this evening.
FanDuel Sportsbook has Miami listed as +3 road underdogs on the spread and +124 on the Moneyline.
