Q: Ira, there could have been some rust, but most people seem to think Jimmy Butler didn’t give full effort Friday. Which is better for the Heat: Having someone with Jimmy’s talent playing half-hearted?

Butler is owed $48M for the remainder of this season and then holds a $52 million player option for next year. There have been rumors that Butler could opt out of his deal to enter free agency this coming summer but the likelihood of Butler leaving over $50 million on the table is low.

Heat owner Micky Arison is expected to meet with Butler ahead of Butler’s scheduled return Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. According to multiple NBA sources familiar with