Jimmy Butler

Butler appeared in 52 games for the Heat in 2020-21. In 33.6 minutes per contest, he averaged 21.5 points and career highs in rebounds (6.9), assists (7.1) and steals (2.1). His 2.1 steals per game also led the NBA. Butler also shot a career-high 49.7 percent from the field and nearly tied his best free-throw shooting season (86.3%). He was voted to the All-Defensive Second Team and the All-NBA Third Team for his excellent play. On opening night against the Magic, Butler recorded a career-high seven steals. On Jan. 6 against the Celtics, he blocked a season-high three shots. In a win over the Kings on Feb. 18, Butler handed out a season-high 13 assists. He also recorded one of his four triple-doubles that game with 13 points and 10 rebounds. In a win over the Jazz on Feb. 26, Butler scored a season-high 33 points. Against the Pacers on March 21, Butler grabbed a season-high 15 boards. In the first round of the playoffs against the Bucks, Butler averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 38.5 minutes. Arguably his best playoff performance was Game 3, where he posted 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 38 minutes.

Butler became a member of the Heat on July 6, 2019, coming over from Philadelphia as the centerpiece of a four-team trade. He proceeded to excel in Miami, becoming an All-Star for the fifth time and finishing the season 11th in the MVP voting while making the All-NBA Third Team. The veteran wing averaged 19.9 points, a career-high 6.7 rebounds, a career-high 6.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Butler finished sixth in the NBA in made free throws (438), seventh in steals (103), ninth in triple-doubles (three), 13th in player efficiency rating (23.6), 13th in offensive rating (122.7), eighth in win shares (9.0), 10th in box plus/minus (5.4), and ninth in value over replacement player (3.7). Arguably his best overall performance of the regular season came during a win over the 76ers on Feb. 3, in which Butler recorded a season-high 38 points (14-20 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 8-8 FT), seven rebounds, three steals and two assists with no turnovers in just 29 minutes. During the first three rounds of the playoffs against the Pacers, Bucks and Celtics, Butler averaged 20.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.6 blocks across 15 games. During the NBA Finals against the Lakers, he averaged a near triple-double with 26.2 points, 9.8 assists, 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. Butler's best playoff performance came during Miami's Game 3 Finals win over Los Angeles, when he triple-doubled with 40 points (on 14-of-20 shooting), 13 assists, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Butler started off the 2018-19 season hot with Minnesota, notching at least 20 points in his first four with averages of 24.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3. assists, 3.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in that span. However, his second season with the Timberwolves was cut short early, as they dealt the four-time All-Star to Philadelphia on Nov. 12. It didn't take long for Butler to adjust to his new surroundings. He pulled off three performances of 30-plus points within a three-week period, peaking with back-to-back 38-point games in early December. After health issues sidelined him for a few matchups, he got back into the flow in the new year by recording at least 16 points in seven straight contests. A wrist injury cost him a week of action in late January, but in Butler's reintroduction on Jan. 29, he racked up 20 points, six dimes, five boards, and five steals. He also exuded efficiency from the line throughout the year, most notably posting a 12-for-12 performance on Nov. 19 and efforts of 14-for-14 on Feb. 8 and 13-for-13 on Mar. 23. As the playoffs approached, Butler kept grabbing rebounds and forcing takeaways. By the end of the regular season, he'd accumulated enough swipes to rank fifth in the league with 1.9 steals per game and sixth with a 2.7 steal percentage. In total, Butler averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists across his two stops. He proceeded to appear in 12 postseason games as the Sixers went to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds. 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals. That included a 36-point explosion in Game 1 of the opening-round series against the Nets as well as a pair of postseason double-doubles.

After six seasons in Chicago, Butler joined the Timberwolves in 2017-18 following an offseason trade. He made an immediate impact in Minnesota, playing a key role in the team's first playoff berth in 14 years despite missing six weeks due to a knee injury. Butler's 22.2 points per game paced the squad, and he ranked second with 4.9 assists per contest. The former first-round pick posted the highest field-goal percentage (47.4) and true shooting percentage (59.0) of his career while knocking down 85.4 percent of his free throws and 35.0 percent of his 3-point attempts. Butler scored 30-plus points 11 times, topping out with 39 in a Dec. 27 win over Denver. As usual, he was a menace on the defensive side of the court, as his 2.0 steals per game ranked sixth in the NBA. Butler's strong all-around numbers earned him a spot as a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team, though he elected to sit the exhibition out in order to rest for the season's second half. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team for the second consecutive campaign and landed on the All-NBA Defensive Second Team for the fourth time in his career. Butler posted three double-doubles during the campaign, including a 26-point, 10-rebound performance against Detroit on Nov. 19 in which he also racked up five steals. In Minnesota's first-round playoff exit against Houston, he averaged 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while logging 34.1 minutes per contest. Butler was outstanding in the Timberwolves' Game 3 victory, pouring in 28 points along with seven boards and five dimes while making 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Already a star, Butler had his best season yet in 2016-17. Not only did he stay healthier than he had in years, playing in 76 games (75 starts), he also registered new career highs in average points (23.9), rebounds (6.2) and assists (5.5) while matching his career-best mark with 1.9 steals. Butler racked up explosive scoring performance, posting 30-plus points 15 times, including 40-plus on five occasions. His biggest game came Jan. 2, when Butler poured in 52 points -- including hitting 21-of-22 free throws -- with 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block against the Hornets. That was the most impressive of his 15 double-doubles. He logged a triple-double on Feb. 25, posting 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Cavaliers. On Mar. 26, Butler dished a career-best 14 assists against Milwaukee. The forward recorded another triple-double on Apr. 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 19-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort. He was voted a starter for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, scoring six points in 19 minutes for the East. The Bulls made the playoffs and took their first-round series with Boston to six games, thanks in no small part to Butler's 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per postseason contest. As a reward for his career year, Butler was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

Coming off his big breakout year, Butler re-signed with the Bulls on a five-year, $95 million contract prior to the 2015-16 season. He responded by making the All-Star team for the second straight year, but was also limited to less than 70 games (67, to be precise) by injury for the third straight campaign -- this time, a knee strain that also held him out of the All-Star festivities. Nonetheless, Butler shined statistically with 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 36.9 minutes per game. On Jan. 3, Butler broke Michael Jordan's franchise record when he scored 40 points in a half against the Toronto Raptors; he scored 42 in the game. On Jan.14, he put up the biggest game of his career, going off for a career-high 53 points on 15-for-30 shooting to go with 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals against the 76ers. Butler had another game with 40-plus points, and he scored 30-plus on an additional four occasions. The 26-year old recorded his first career triple-double on Apr. 2 with 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists against the Detroit Pistons. Those rebound and assist totals both represented career highs. On Apr. 13, he triple-doubled again, posting 10 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists against the Sixers. For the third consecutive season, Butler was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Butler took an enormous leap forward in his fourth NBA season. Already a defensive maven, he drastically improved his shot selection and accuracy. That resulted in him rewarding the Bulls with 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals in an NBA-leading 38.7 minutes per game. His field-goal percentage rebounded to 46.2 (from 39.7 the year before) and his three-point percentage jumped back up to 37.8 (from 28.3). The only knock on his season was that he was again unable to play a complete campaign, as he was limited to 65 games mostly due to an elbow injury. Nonetheless, Butler racked up 34 games with 20-plus points and cleared 30 points on seven occasions. On Dec. 18, he posted a season-high 35 points with five rebounds, seven assists, four steals and a block in 44 minutes against the Knicks. He matched that output with another 35 on Jan. 29 against the Lakers, adding seven rebounds and three steals. Butler also notched four double-doubles, including a 28-point, 12-rebound effort on Feb. 27 against the Timberwolves. The 25-year old set a new career high with five blocks against the Raptors on Dec. 22 and posted a career-high six steals on two occasions. For his efforts, he was selected to his first All-Star Game, in which he scored six points in nine minutes for the East. Butler raised his game to another level over the course of 12 playoff contests, averaging 22.9 points, 5.6 rebounds 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals. He scored 30-plus points twice in the Bulls' first-round win over Milwaukee and double-doubled in Game 5 of that series. Butler was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after the campaign, and he also made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second straight year.

Continuing the positive trend line of his career, Butler stepped into a full-time starting role for the Bulls in 2013-14, starting all 67 games in which he appeared, though he missed some time with a toe injury. He averaged 13.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals -- all career highs. His 38.7 minutes per game represented by far his highest usage yet. Butler scored in double figures in 54 games, clearing 20-plus points five times. On Dec. 30, he scored a season-high 26 points against the Grizzlies, thanks in no small part to making 12-of-14 free throws. The 24-year old notched five double-doubles on the year, including grabbing a season-high 13 rebounds on Feb. 11 against the Hawks. He also set a new personal best with nine assists in an Apr. 5 game against Washington. Butler racked up multiple steals on 36 occasions, and he collected a season-high five swipes four times. The Bulls made the playoffs again, and Butler continued playing major minutes in their first-round loss to Washington. He averaged 43.5 minutes over the five-game series, posting 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in postseason play. As a reward for his efforts, Butler was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Butler saw a increase in playing time during his second NBA season, playing all 82 games for the Bulls and starting 20 of them. He averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 26.0 minutes as a sophomore while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range -- both major improvements over his rookie year. Limited to relatively low minutes off the bench early in the season, Butler stepped into a starting role down the stretch. He started the Bulls' last 14 games of the season, delivering strong averages of 14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals while hitting more than half his threes (52.8 percent). His best performance came Apr. 9, when he posted an easily career-high 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals against the Raptors. Two nights later, he grabbed 14 rebounds to accompany a 22-point performance against the Knicks -- one of his four double-doubles on the season. Butler retained his starting role in the playoffs, averaging 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals across 12 postseason contests. That included a 21-point, 14-rebound performance to open the Bulls' second-round series against Miami.

Butler was selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Bulls, who deployed him for 42 games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. The rookie averaged 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.3 steals in 8.5 minutes per game while contending with Chicago's crowded wing rotation. Butler's best performance came Apr. 26 against the Cavaliers, when he posted 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting with four rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes. He also scored 12 points on Jan. 7 against the Hawks. Butler recorded a season-high five rebounds on two occasions. He also posted a pair of two-steal games. The Bulls finished with a 50-16 record to lead the Eastern Conference, though they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Nonetheless, Butler was able to get a few minutes of NBA playoff experience, though he didn't record any stats other than a single personal foul.