The Miami Heat announced that forward Jimmy Butler suffered a sprained right ankle during a road game Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers and will not return.
Butler entered Wednesday averaging 25.3 points on 53.0 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.1 steals in his 11th NBA season.
The 32-year-old posted 21.5 points on 49.7 percent shooting, 7.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds and an NBA-high 2.1 steals last year for the Heat, who went to the 2020 NBA Finals and made a return trip to the postseason in 2021. Miami was swept by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in Round 1.