Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith Among Miami Heat Players Not Traveling To Houston

The Miami Heat are once again shorthanded for their trip to play the Houston Rockets in the preseason finale.

The Heat announced Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez and Josh Richardson did not travel with the team. Richardson injured his foot in Wednesday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets while Highsmith sustained a knee contusion. Jaquez remains out with groin issue and Butler is undergoing a dental procedure.

While none of the injuries appears serious, the Heat are dealing with the same issues that slowed them last season. Injuries played a role in them going from a No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in 2022 to barely making the playoffs last season.

The Heat can only hope to avoid a repeat because they almost missed the postseason a year ago. Behind 31-point games from Butler and Max Strus, they used a 15-1 run late to hold off the Chicago Bulls in an elimination game. The rest was history, with the Heat going on to make the NBA Finals.

The lack of bodies once puts Bam Adebayo in charge. He got off to a strong Wednesday against the Nets, scoring 14 points. The good news is it's early but Heat fans hope this isn't a year of jumbled lineups because of injury.

The Heat open the season Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons.

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

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