Jimmy Butler ruled out of Heat opener for 'personal reasons'

Posted October 23, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) - Jimmy Butler's debut for the Miami Heat will be delayed by a few days.

Butler was ruled out of Miami's season-opener against Memphis on Wednesday for what the team is calling "personal reasons."

Butler was with the team Wednesday morning for its game-day shootaround practice, and told the team that he wasn't going to be able to play around mid-afternoon.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says "everything's fine" and that there is no reason for concern over the Butler situation.

Butler was the big offseason acquisition for the Heat this past summer, agreeing to a four-year deal in a sign-and-trade with Philadelphia.

Miami is also without guard Dion Waiters for the opener, while he serves a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Article Comments

Article Categories
Basketball Content Providers NBA Pro Sports Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.