Miami Heat Release Statement On Monday's Jimmy Butler Suspension
01/27/2025 05:40 PM
As the Jimmy Butler saga enters another chapter, the Miami Heat have reportedly saw fit to suspend the six-time All-Star indefinitely.
It's the third time Miami has suspended Butler for conduct deemed detrimental to the team after the 35-year-old chose to walk out of Monday morning's shootaround.
Taking to social media this evening, the Heat released a statement on their decision:
The Miami HEAT are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last 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. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.
Butler was already in the midst of a second suspension and the organization had plans of bringing him off the bench moving forward. But the veteran small forward reacted to the news by storming out of the the team's facility.
Butler has requested a trade, and the Heat have said they're working to find a deal ahead of Feb. 6's deadline.
Since arriving in South Beach, Butler had become the embodiment of the hard-nosed, relentless style of play typical of a Pat Riley-led team. But something changed recently and Jimmy has made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with the franchise.
Unfortunately, this is how it tends to end for Butler since leaving Chicago; as his exits from Minnesota and Philly were also pretty rocky.
Who knows what sparked this change of heart but it's never a good look to quit on your team — especially one that's so reliant on your skills.
We'll see what the Heat ultimately decide to do, but something tells us there's probably a couple more twists in store before these two sides find a resolution.
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