On Thursday night, the Miami Heat will visit the Delta Center to take on the Utah Jazz, marking their fourth game without All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Miami suspended Butler last Friday for seven games due to “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.” This suspension will extend until the conclusion of the Heat’s road trip on January 15, with expectations, as reported by The Athletic’s Sam Amick, that Butler will return to action following his suspension.
“While trades can happen rapidly in the Association, sources within the team indicate that Miami is willing to be patient regarding a possible Butler trade in order to maximize their return,” Amick stated in his analysis. “This message was conveyed internally after the team imposed a seven-game suspension on Butler due to ‘conduct detrimental to the team,’ just before the Heat embarked on a six-game road trip that continues Thursday night against Utah.”
“Following Butler’s trade request and subsequent suspension, team officials informed Heat players that the likelihood of the 35-year-old, six-time All-Star rejoining them after the suspension was the most probable next move.”
The Miami Heat announced Butler’s suspension on Friday, the day following their 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers. During postgame press conferences, Butler expressed his dissatisfaction with his situation.
“What do I want to see happen? I want to regain my joy in playing basketball, wherever that might be — we’ll find out soon enough,” Butler remarked following Thursday’s game. “I want to feel joy again. I’m content here, off the court, but I aspire to be a dominant force. I want to play and contribute to this team’s success. At the moment, I’m not accomplishing that.”
When asked whether he could discover that joy in Miami, he responded bluntly, “Probably not.”
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