Getty Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat reacts.
Things haven’t really gone according to plan for the Miami Heat this season. After being just one win away from the NBA Finals last season, the Heat sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 24-21. Their most recent loss to the Atlanta Hawks on January 16 was a frustrating one. Miami didn’t show up in the first half and went down by as much as 26 to the Hawks. The strong second half wasn’t enough and they fell to Atlanta 121-113.
After the rough showing, Jimmy Butler had some words for his Heat teammates.
“Tonight it wasn’t enough,” he said.” Maybe I should have done a little bit more early on. But it’s always going to be a group thing. It’s always going to be a team thing. So we’ve got to figure it out together.”
The six-time All-Star lead the Heat in scoring with 34 points on the day. He also grabbed 3 rebounds, dished 3 assists, tallied 2 steals and blocked a shot in 34 minutes.
Butler led a second-half surge for the Miami, pouring in 20 points on 6-7 shooting. The team was able to cut the lead down to just four points in the final minute, but never got any closer.
Jimmy’s 3 cut the deficit to 7 👌
The 33-year-old has been Miami’s best player this season, despite only appearing in 31 of their 45 games. He’s averaging 22.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 51.1% shooting from the floor and 32.3% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Caleb Martin Labeled Heat’s ‘Best Trade Asset’
With the Heat looking up at six other Eastern Conference teams in the standings, they may need to swing a trade to improve their roster.
The player that teams around the league covet the most is Caleb Martin, according to an Eastern Conference Exec, via Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney.
“Caleb Martin, if you are asking other teams, he’s probably the best asset. He has a decent enough contract, he can play a few different spots, he can fit off the bench or be a starter. If they make a deal, it is probably going to have to include Martin,” the Exec told Deveney.
Martin has proven to be a quality player for the Heat this season. He has appeared in 35 of the team’s 45 games and is playing 31.2 minutes. He’s averaging 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 46.2% shooting from the floor and 39.4% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
His bargain contract makes him a desirable player to teams throughout the association. The 27-year-old is signed through the 2024-25 season and is set to make $20.4 million.
Dewayne Dedmon Is Officially Trade Eligible
Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon hasn’t seen any playing time since he got into it with Head Coach Erik Spoelstra. The two got into a heated exchange during the Heat’s January 10 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dedmon wound up getting ejected after slapping a massage therapy gun onto the court.
Dedmon then was suspended for the January 12 matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The good news for Heat fans is that he officially became eligible to be traded on January 15, the day where 21 other players across the association did the same. That group is made up of players who signed a deal to stay with the same team and either got a 20% raise, signed for more than the minimum, or were resigned using bird-rights or early-bird-rights.