Miami Heat to suspend Jimmy Butler —again — for two games after missed flight
Once again, the Miami Heat are going to suspend Jimmy Butler.
The Heat have suspended Butler for an upcoming two-game road trip after he missed a team flight to Milwaukee, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by the team.
Miami HEAT Statement on Jimmy Butler:
We have suspended Jimmy Butler for two games for continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today’s team flight to Milwaukee.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 23, 2025
Miami canceling practice and flying early to Wisconsin on Wednesday may have had something to do with it, but Butler planned to fly on his own and meet the team then play Thursday night, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
Clearly, the Heat organization will be happy to have the distraction that is Butler away from the locker room.
Butler was recently suspended for seven games by the team for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Like that suspension, the players’ union will likely appeal this one and get Butler some or all of his money back, but that is a slow process, so he will be away from the team for a couple of games.
Butler has played in three games since returning from that first suspension, averaging 13 points and 5.7 assists a game.
Momentum is building toward a Butler trade, very possibly to his preferred destination of Phoenix, where he could team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The challenge with that trade is Phoenix needs to send out Bradley Beal, and Beal has a no-trade clause and can veto any deal. Miami is not interested in the 31-year-old former All-Star owed $110 million over the next two years. That means a third team (at least, maybe a fourth and fifth) needs to be brought in to take on Beal and work everything out — and Beal has to approve all of it. While Milwaukee was rumored to have an interest in Beal, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, shot that idea down. Bartelstein said Beal would not automatically waive the no-trade clause for several rumored teams (Milwaukee, Denver, or the Lakers). Plus, with both the Suns and Bucks over the second tax apron — which brings a host of trade restrictions — that becomes a complicated trade to make work.
There is momentum to find a Butler trade, however, unless a third team can be found for Beal it’s all moot.
Miami will try to keep the drama around all that down by suspending Butler. Again.
