Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat's beef continued on Monday, but the disgruntled star made light of the situation on social media.

The Heat announced Monday that they are planning to suspend Butler indefinitely without pay, clarifying that the suspension came after Butler walked out of practice.

"The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services," the team stated. "This includes walking out of practice earlier today."

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Butler left Monday's shootaround after hearing that Haywood Highsmith would start over him.

Shortly after being suspended, Butler posted a clip from "Martin" on Instagram, tagging Heat power forward Kevin Love.

Love responded to Butler's Instagram post with a clip from "Training Day."

"Jimmy immediately after hearing he wasn't in the starting lineup," he wrote in the post, adding, "#haywoodhighsmithoverme."

Love has had plenty of jokes about the Butler saga on social media over the past few weeks, including a post featuring Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" following Butler's trade request.

Butler will have plenty of time to make more comical Instagram posts in the coming weeks as he waits for the Heat to trade him. The six-time All-Star is now serving his third suspension in the past month and he has played just three games since requesting a trade on Jan. 2.

Jimmy Butler's stand-off with the Miami Heat continues to be costly for the disgruntled star.

The Heat announced Monday that Butler is suspended "without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games" due to a "continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services," which included "walking out of practice earlier today."

As ESPN's Bobby Marks noted, Butler will lose $532,737 in salary per game, meaning he'll be losing at least $2.7 million from this latest suspension. Butler had already lost around $3.1 million from his previous suspensions as he seeks a trade out of Miami.

Now, Butler could always seek to get that money back by filing grievances via the NBPA. Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers reached a settlement back in 2022 after the team suspended him without pay while he sought to force a trade, ultimately restoring a portion of the $20 million in withheld salary during that saga.

But regardless, Butler is risking quite a bit of money to force his way out of Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The latest chapter of the ongoing saga between the Miami Heat and star forward Jimmy Butler has reached a new low.

The Heat announced that they are suspending Butler indefinitely for no fewer than five games.

"The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services," the team stated. "This includes walking out of practice earlier today."

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Butler walked out of Monday morning's shootaround after being told he was being replaced in the starting lineup by Haywood Highsmith.

ESPN's Bobby Marks explained that Butler will be taking a major financial hit based on Miami's designation for his suspension:

Butler was expected to make his return from a two-game suspension in Monday's game against the Orlando Magic. This marks the third time this month alone that the Heat resorted to suspending him, as he also served a seven-game suspension earlier in January.

The 35-year-old has made it clear that he wants to be traded from Miami before the Feb. 6 deadline. However, finding a suitor has proved difficult thanks to his hefty $48.8 million salary for this season as well as his intentions to test free agency at the end of the year. Butler has also done little to make himself an attractive trade target amid his rift with the Heat.

In 25 games this season, Butler has averaged just 17.0 points, his lowest mark since his third season in the NBA in 2013-14. The Heat deemed his conduct to be detrimental to the team when they levied the first suspension, and they said his second suspension was for "insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing" a team flight to Milwaukee for a game against the Bucks.

With Butler in and out of the lineup, Miami ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 22-22 record. Shooting guard Tyler Herro has emerged as the team's primary option and leads the Heat with 24.0 points and 5.2 assists per game.

Miami has just a few days left before the 2025 trade deadline, but it's clear that there's no future for Butler in South Beach.

The Miami Heat are still "patiently waiting for the best possible offer" for disgruntled star Jimmy Butler, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Butler was absent as Miami beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-97 on Saturday night while finishing the second game of the newest suspension issued by the team.

The six-time All-Star used his night off to attend a local padel event. He was naturally asked about his future with the Heat and sidestepped the questions, choosing instead to speak positively about the city.

For now, it doesn't appear the Heat are any closer to a trade than they were when Butler first started to register his discontent. ESPN's Brian Windhorst laid out Miami's problem when he said Jan. 7 on First Take that interested suitors simply aren't that motivated to be aggressive in negotiations:

Miami, for its part, hasn't reached the point where it will settle for the best deal on the table.

Windhorst and colleague Tim Bontemps reported Friday for ESPN that "the offers coming in haven't included what Miami is looking for: players who can help now, young talent, draft capital and salary that expires by the summer of 2026."

NBA insider Jake Fischer added the franchise is broadly "against acquiring players in exchange for Butler who have significant future money," with Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal cited as an example. Beal makes $53.7 million next year and has a $57.1 million player option for 2026-27 that he'll almost certainly exercise.

Considering how tense the relationship between Butler and the Heat already is, the team might as well wait as long as it can up until the Feb. 6 trade deadline. At the very least, the trade offers probably aren't going to get any worse.

The million-dollar question is whether team president Pat Riley and general manager Andy Elisburg are willing to surrender if Butler's market doesn't markedly improve. Trading him away for pennies on the dollar might be better than having him for the rest of the season and going through this saga all over again in the offseason, assuming the 35-year-old picks up his player option.

For the second time this month, Jimmy Butler is gearing up for his return from a suspension.

Per the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, Butler is expected to rejoin the Miami Heat as they face the Orlando Magic on Monday after his two-game suspension ended following Saturday's game.

The Heat suspended Butler for two games on Wednesday due to a "continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today's team flight to Milwaukee."

It marked the second suspension Butler received since requesting a trade on Jan. 2. The first suspension came on Jan. 3 and was also for "conduct detrimental to the team," though it earned him a seven-game ban.

"We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks," the team said in a statement. "Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team."

The Heat split the recent two-game stretch without Butler, losing in blowout fashion to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday before beating the Brooklyn Nets 106-97 on Saturday behind 25 points from Tyler Herro and 16 boards from Bam Adebayo. The Heat are 22-22 on the season, sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Butler's time with the Heat seems limited as the veteran has made it clear he wants out. According to Jackson, Butler said at a padel tournament on Saturday that he didn't know if this weekend would be his last in Miami.

Jimmy Butler expressed his admiration for the city of Miami on Saturday despite his current request to be traded from the Heat.

"I love this city with everything that I have," Butler told reporters at a padel tournament.

Butler is currently in the midst of a two-game suspension for missing a team flight as well as a "continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team."

The 35-year-old indicated to the Heat that he wanted to be traded on Jan. 2.

Butler previously served a seven-game suspension that came the day after his trade request, with the Heat citing "multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team" showing that "he no longer wants to be part of this team."

He returned to play in three games before he was given the second suspension.

Despite Butler's desire to be moved from the Heat, he's been consistent in his support of the city.

"I'm happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop and I want to help this team win, and right now I'm not doing it," Butler told reporters on Jan. 2 (1:30 mark).

The six-time All-Star doesn't have a specific destination that he wants to be dealt to, as ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported that Butler's wishlist is "just out of Miami, with the exception of Memphis."

The Phoenix Suns appear to be a possible landing spot, with ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reported Friday that trading for the star forward is the Suns' "top objective" and there is "motivation" from both Butler's representatives and the Heat to complete a trade.

In 25 starts this season, he's averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 54.0/36.1/80.1 shooting splits.

While Butler enjoys Miami, his stance on wanting a change of scenery hasn't seemed to change as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches.

The Miami Heat reportedly have some added, draft-related incentive to reach the playoffs this season.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Heat's 2025 first-round pick is lottery-protected, meaning they will keep it if they fail to reach the playoffs. However, if Miami makes the postseason, the pick will convey to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Heat reportedly prefer for the Thunder to get their 2025 non-lottery first-rounder since the pick becomes fully unprotected in 2026 if it is not conveyed this year.

That means even if the Heat were to miss the playoffs and win the lottery for the No. 1 overall pick next year, the selection would go to OKC.

The Heat are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 21-22 record, and they hold a comfortable five-game lead over the 11th-place Philadelphia 76ers for a spot in the postseason play-in tournament.

However, Miami is 1.5 games behind the sixth-place Detroit Pistons, which is ideally the spot the Heat would like to reach.

The top six teams in the East are automatically in the playoffs, whereas the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds must make it through the play-in to qualify.

Miami is a perennial playoff team, having made five consecutive postseason appearances, but it has been a roller coaster of a season.

While Tyler Herro is enjoying a breakout season with a career-high 24.0 points per game, three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo has taken a step back, as he is shooting a career-worst 45.4 percent from the field and his 15.5 points per game represent his lowest scoring output since the 2018-19 season.

Most notably, the Heat have had some significant issues with veteran star Jimmy Butler, who is in the midst of his second suspension of the season.

Earlier this month, the Heat suspended Butler seven games for "multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team," on the heels of him intimating to the media that he wanted to be traded.

As part of the suspension announcement, the Heat noted that they would listen to trade offers for the six-time All-Star.

Then, this week, the Heat announced an additional two-game suspension after Butler missed a team flight.

Trading Butler would perhaps weaken the Heat's chances of making the playoffs this season, but given that he could opt out of his contract and become a free agent during the offseason anyway, it is likely in Miami's best interest to move him.

Even without Butler, the Heat have a deep and talented roster capable of at least reaching the playoffs, which would allow them to prevent the Thunder from taking their 2026 first-rounder.

The Miami Heat are reportedly against acquiring players with "significant future money" left on their deals in any trade involving Jimmy Butler.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported the latest for the Stein Line newsletter on Saturday:

"Sources say Miami is also against acquiring players in exchange for Butler who have significant future money, like Beal, remaining on their contracts. That information has been the most consistent takeaway cited when conferring with NBA personnel about the Heat's trade preferences, on top of how any diligent front office will always seek promising young players, impact veterans and draft capital when trading away a talented player like Butler with numerous All-Star appearances on his résumé and who has proven himself as a playoff performer."

It's no surprise that the Suns want Butler on their roster. ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reported on Friday that acquiring Butler is Phoenix's "top objective" prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Butler has made his trade request to Miami abundantly clear. Those two sides are headed for a divorce, especially after a seven-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team and another two missed games for a "continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today's team flight to Milwaukee," per the team.

Now there's a race against the clock for Butler to be moved before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. One can imagine that's going to happen, especially given the fact that the Heat could potentially lose the impending free agent for nothing should he decline his 2025-26 player option.

Butler, as his recent choice of footwear shows, wouldn't mind being a member of the Suns.

For now, though, Butler is a member of the Heat. One can imagine that won't be the case for long, though, as this lengthy and messy split appears to near its end.

Given the difficulties of pulling off a two-team deal for Jimmy Butler to a destination that he would approve of, the Miami Heat may be able to get some help facilitating a deal from the Toronto Raptors.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, one general manager said the Raptors "want to get involved" in any deal involving Butler and the Heat have shown interest in adding Bruce Brown as part of their return in a potential trade.

Butler will serve the second game of his two-game suspension on Saturday when the Heat take on the Brooklyn Nets. He was disciplined by the team for the second time in three weeks for a "continued pattern of disregard of team rules" that included missing their flight to Milwaukee for Thursday's game against the Bucks.

The Phoenix Suns have been cited as a team aggressively pursuing Butler, but their path to acquire him is complicated by several factors. Among them is a lack of trade assets to include, on top of Bradley Beal, who has a full no-trade clause, likely being the player Phoenix would send out.

ESPN's Shams Charania has said there are various scenarios being explored that could feature as many as five teams involved in whatever a final deal for Butler looks like.

Another potential issue is satisfying all of the demands the Heat want to move on from Butler. Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, their list includes "players who can help now, young talent, draft capital and salary that expires by the summer of 2026."

Brown's contract would fit what the Heat are looking for, as he is playing on a $23 million expiring contract this season. It would also seem unlikely he finishes this season in Toronto given where the Raptors are at in the standings and focused on a long-term rebuild.

There's also usually a strong market for wing players at the trade deadline every year because contending teams always need more depth at that spot. Brown is a versatile defender who is shooting 47.0 percent from the field this season.

If the Heat fancy themselves as a playoff contender this season, even if they trade Butler, a player like Brown could help them achieve that goal. They are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 21-22 record.

As the saga between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat continues to play out publicly, there is at least some clarity on what the Heat are looking for in a potential trade involving the six-time All-Star.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, one of the primary objectives for the Heat is to avoid taking back long-term money so they can position themselves to land a star player in the 2026 free-agent class.

The list of players who could potentially hit free agency in the summer of 2026 includes Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr. and De'Aaron Fox.

Luka Dončić, Trae Young and Damian Lillard are among the players who could become free agents if they decline their player options.

It seems highly unlikely all of those players will make it to free agency. Gilgeous-Alexander is in an incredible position as the MVP frontrunner on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that's already loaded and still has as much future draft capital as any team in the NBA.

Free agency has largely dried up in the NBA in recent years because superstar players have figured out they can take a max deal now and then figure things out later if they become unhappy in their current situation.

Since the summer of 2019 when Durant, Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving all signed with new teams, there have only been two All-Star-level players who switched clubs via free agency (Jalen Brunson in 2022 and Paul George in 2024).

George, 34, doesn't even look like an All-Star at this point in his career. His 35.5 percent success rate from three-point range this season is his worst since he was a rookie.

Bontemps did note there is "at least a possibility" of some marquee players opting to test the free-agent market in 2026 because of the new television money that will be coming into the NBA, which will help boost the salary cap.

The NBA and NBPA did agree to a deal in the new collective bargaining agreement that includes a smoothing of the cap to ease in new television money in order to avoid the situation from 2016 that allowed the Golden State Warriors to sign Durant.

Miami has had good luck in free agency when it tries to play in the deep end of that pool. The most obvious example was in 2010 when LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to team up with Dwyane Wade. Butler was also a free agent signing in the summer of 2019.

The Heat currently have $273.5 million in allocations for the 2026-27 season, but that figure includes cap holds for Butler ($54.3 million), Terry Rozier ($40 million) and Duncan Robinson ($29.8 million) that don't figure to be a problem when the time comes to account for the cap.