“Butler’s Suspension Ends Amid Ongoing Trade Talks with Miami Heat.”

Jimmy Butler may return to the Miami Heat lineup as he is not listed on the team’s injury report ahead of their upcoming game against the Denver Nuggets.

This would be Butler’s first game since the Heat announced that he had requested a trade and were working to accommodate his request. Butler was suspended for seven games by the team due to conduct deemed detrimental to the organization. The Heat went 3-4 in his absence.

At the time of his suspension, there was uncertainty over whether Butler would play for the Heat again, but with no trade deal in sight, Butler’s absence from the injury report suggests he is expected to play. Butler did not join the team on their recent six-game road trip. The Heat, who did not practice on Thursday, have a walk-through planned before the game, and Butler was set to meet with team officials, including coach Erik Spoelstra, ahead of the matchup.

In a recent interview following a loss to the Indiana Pacers on January 2, Butler expressed frustration with his role on the team, saying he had lost his “joy” for playing in Miami. He expressed his desire to regain that joy, whether in Miami or elsewhere. This dissatisfaction has fueled the ongoing friction between Butler and the organization. Sources revealed that Butler had reiterated his trade demand in a face-to-face meeting with Heat president Pat Riley.

Butler’s recent struggles were evident during the Heat’s loss to Indiana, where he scored just nine points and was benched during the fourth quarter for the second straight game. The next day, the Heat suspended him, despite Riley’s earlier December statement that Butler would not be traded. Since then, trade discussions have begun.

Trading Butler is complex, however, due to new collective bargaining rules and the size of his contract, which is nearly $49 million this season with a $52 million option for next season. Butler, now 35 years old, is averaging 17.6 points per game, his lowest since his third NBA season. Despite this, he is shooting a career-best 55% this season.

1. Butler has been the key player in leading the Heat to two NBA Finals, but tensions with the team escalated after Riley’s decision not to extend his contract before the 2024-25 season. Butler could have received an extension worth up to $113 million over two years, but the team opted not to pursue that path.