Miami Heat

Miami Heat shooting guard Josh Richardson (shoulder) said on Monday that he is "close to returning" from his season-ending shoulder surgery that he received in March. Richardson admitted that his recovery has been frustrating but that he has the "mental to grind through" the rest of his rehab process. The 31-year-old was performing solidly off Miami's bench before obtaining the injury in February, averaging 9.9 PPG. Richardson still will need to show some progress before receiving playing time and will likely be eased into the rotation once back. Fantasy managers shouldn't need to worry about targeting the veteran in drafts. However, Richardson could be an intriguing waiver wire pickup midseason should he reach his normal levels of production once healthy.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler said on Monday, "I gotta prove that I'm a major part of winning," in response to not receiving a contract extension ahead of his player option for the 2025-2026 season. Butler is entering the third year of his three-year $146M contract with the Miami Heat, making the 2024-2025 season potentially Butler's final season with Miami if he does not opt into his player option next season. The 35-year-old has led the Heat to the playoffs in each of his five seasons with Miami, including two Finals appearances. Injuries have limited his ability to stay on the court but he has been productive when healthy, averaging 21.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 5.7 APG as a member of the Heat. With a contract year on deck, fantasy managers may be intrigued by the extra effort Butler may give this season and should target him in drafts. His current ADP of 50 may provide some value if Butler is able to stay healthy.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (knee) is healthy heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He sprained his right MCL in the Heat's Play-In loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and missed the remainder of the postseason. Injuries have been an issue for Butler over the years, with the veteran appearing in 64 games or fewer in each of his five seasons in South Beach. When healthy, he's as good of a fantasy producer as it gets. But until Butler stays on the floor, his fantasy value is capped. Still, the 35-year-old warrants top-25 fantasy consideration in all scoring formats.

Miami Heat guard/forward Duncan Robinson has said that he's fully recovered from a back injury that limited him during the final stretch of 2023-24. Robinson was enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign before being struck by a left facet syndrome. He missed the final 14 regular-season games due to the issue. Robinson returned for the playoffs but clearly wasn't at 100 percent as he struggled badly. However, the 30-year-old sniper appears fully healthy now, telling reporters he is "not restricted in any way" and has "no limitations." Robinson sits among the best outside shooters in the Association and has also developed as a playmaker. He averaged a career-high 2.8 assists last season while posting 12.9 points in 28.0 minutes.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been looking for an extension in Miami but hasn't received anything just yet. He's entering the final year of his deal this coming season but still has a player option that he could opt into for one more year. According to Sam Amick, the Golden State Warriors are looking at this scenario and they "have interest" in Butler after clearing a lot of cap space when they moved on from Klay Thompson and Chris Paul. After putting together a couple more contracts in a potential deal for Butler, they could remain in a favorable tax position. There have already been multiple reports about Butler interested in other teams or vice versa, so it remains to be seen if a team actually decides to pull the trigger on an offer.