Miami Heat suspend Jimmy Butler indefinitely

Jimmy Butler’s latest two-game suspension ended Monday, and he was on the active roster for the Heat, which is set to host the Orlando Magic.

However, by the end of the team’s morning shootaround, another Butler suspension was in place — this time one that is “indefinite.” Which, in practical terms, means for the five games until the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline, or until he is traded.

Butler was informed at morning shootaround that he would come off the bench behind Haywood Highsmith against Orlando, which prompted Butler to walk out of the shootaround. That gave Miami the pretext, and it suspended Butler “indefinitely,” a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic and since confirmed by the team.

The key phrasing in Miami’s press release is “withholding services,” which means Butler loses $532,737 a game (via Bobby Marks of ESPN). For the previous nine games, Butler was suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team,” which carried a fine of $336,543 per game. This latest suspension hits harder.

None of this changes the fact Butler wants to be traded from the Heat — as he has told team president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison face-to-face — nor the fact there is a very limited trade market for Butler and no offer yet the Heat are willing to accept (if Butler gets traded, it will be a complex four- or five-team deal with a lot of moving parts).

Butler was coming off a suspension for two 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.” In total, Butler has missed nine games due to suspensions by the Heat since he demanded a trade, reaching a total of $3.1 million in salary lost heading into Monday (although the player’s union is appealing those suspensions, and Butler likely will get some or all of that money back).

One big question looms: If Butler is still with the Heat after the trade deadline — which is the most likely outcome according to league sources speaking to NBC Sports — then how do Butler and Miami move forward? Is it more of these kinds of suspensions, or can Butler, the organization, and the rest of the Heat players (who are not thrilled with Butler walking out on them or how this is playing out) put all this behind them for a playoff push? With Butler playing at an All-Star level around the rest of this roster, the Heat have the potential to be a very tough out in a relatively wide-open East.