Report: Heat still aren’t considering sending Jimmy Butler home with pay

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler will return from his second team-sanctioned suspension Monday against the Orlando Magic.

At this point, Butler’s ongoing feud with the front office has been a huge distraction for everyone involved both on- and off-the-court.

The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, but there still doesn’t appear to be an imminent end between the two parties.

As of Sunday, the team still isn’t considering sending Butler home while being paid until there’s a resolution, according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

“As of Sunday, the Heat remained opposed to sending Butler home while paying him,” Chiang and Jackson’s report read. “The seven-game suspension cost Butler a total of about $2.4 million in salary, and the two-game suspension cost Butler about $700,000 in additional salary.

“The National Basketball Players Association is expected to file a grievance to dispute the suspensions, with the fine money held in escrow until a resolution is reached. This process could take up to a year, but could result in Butler getting some of the lost salary back. … The Heat continues efforts to fulfill Butler’s trade request before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.”

Butler was suspended for seven games in early January for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team. It’s worth noting that they reportedly considered changing the designation to raise Butler’s fine, but didn’t. He was suspended again for two games Wednesday, but this one was classified as a, “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team.”

Miami plays five games ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, starting on Monday. Butler has only played three games since returning from his suspension, averaging 13.0 points and 5.7 assists in 29.3 minutes.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra has put the ball in his hands more over the last two against the Spurs and Trail Blazers, though there still hasn’t been the full energy or activity needed defensively.

Again, this entire saga has been a massive distraction, with both sides–Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley–pointing fingers at each other. Perhaps the best solution would be to send him home with pay until he’s traded–if he’s traded. That’s a sizable if. Though if he’s not, then he should return. Butler and the Heat will need each other if he’s not moved over the next 10 days.

Butler’s preferred destination–the Phoenix Suns–has a Bradley Beal-sized problem while leading the NBA in payroll. We know the 35-year-old star doesn’t want to be moved to Memphis, but that has no bearing on the market heating up with the 28 other teams.

Trades get done when every side has urgency. The Heat still haven’t found a deal worth considering, and time is beginning to run out. The situation’s become untenable, but the Heat appear open to welcoming Butler back with semi-open arms for the next week-and-a-half, at a minimum.

***

To check out our other content, click here.

Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!

Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!