Miami Heat star swingman Jimmy Butler played during Saturday night's victory over the Denver Nuggets, but he was conspicuously absent for the team's Sunday practice.
Moreover, there was some confusion as to his status after Heat forward Jae Crowder seemed to suggest Butler might have contracted COVID-19 just one day after taking the floor against the Nuggets.
However, it looks like the All-Star forward will be available for Monday afternoon's contest against the Toronto Raptors, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald:
All-Star wing Jimmy Butler was not at Sunday’s Miami Heat practice at Walt Disney World. But he’s expected to be available to play in Monday’s 1:30 p.m. game against the Toronto Raptors, according to multiple league sources, barring something unforeseen.
Butler missed Sunday’s light practice with what the team termed as an “excused absence.”
As Chiang noted, Butler is not on Heat's latest injury report. It is still unknown why Butler did not attend practice, though he apparently had the team's blessing.
Butler was terrific during Miami's win over the Nuggets, finishing the contest with 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds while also tallying three steals on the defensive end. Jimmy attacked at will, getting to the charity stripe for 11 free-throw attempts.
The 30-year-old was also the focus of the contest just prior to the tip. He came onto the floor wearing a jersey with a blank nameplate, but the referees made him change before starting the game. Of course, Butler had initially hoped to wear a blank nameplate for the restart, though the NBA denied that request.
There is still a strange mysteriousness surrounding Butler's current situation, but it appears he will be active on for the Heat against the Raptors.
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