The Miami Heat will still be without star forward Jimmy Butler for Wednesday's tilt against the Denver Nuggets. The 31-year-old has not yet received clearance from the league to rejoin his squad due to the NBA's stringent health and safety protocols.

This report comes via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press:

The last time we saw Butler take the court for the Heat was on Jan. 9 against the Washington Wizards. He has since missed eight games for the defending Eastern Conference champs, with Wednesday's matchup with the Nuggets marking his ninth consecutive absence.

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It was previously reported that Butler was already making significant progress towards making a much-anticipated return, but as it is, he will be out of action for the Heat for at least one more game. Butler's next opportunity to suit up will come on Thursday when Miami takes on the Los Angeles Clippers. It does appear that the five-time All-Star is closing in on a return to game action so it would not be surprising if he finally gets the green light to play in Thursday's contest.

It is worth noting, however, that after having spent close to three weeks on the sidelines, conditioning might prove to be an issue for Butler once he is able to return. Head coach Erik Spoelstra may opt to ease his star back to action so a minutes limit for his first few games could be a real possibility for Butler.

Miami is in the midst of a disappointing three-game losing skid and they clearly could use Butler back as soon as possible.