Heat suspend Jimmy Butler indefinitely

Heat suspend Jimmy Butler indefinitely

Miami suspended Jimmy Butler indefinitely without pay Monday when he abruptly left the team’s shootaround after being informed that he wasn’t going to start in tonight’s home game vs. Orlando.

The suspension is the third Miami has given Butler this season. The disgruntled star has been requesting a trade.

The Heat hit Butler with a seven-game suspension on Jan. 3 and a two-game ban on Jan. 22. The six-time All-Star selection was supposed to return from the two-game suspension tonight.

Butler has been in Miami since 2019-20. He has led the Heat to a pair of appearances in the NBA Finals.

In 25 regular-season games this season, Butler is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He’s made 54 percent of his field-goal attempts, 36.1 percent of his 3-pointers and 80.1 percent of his free throws.

Butler is being paid $48.8 million this year and has a $52.4 million players option for the next season. If traded, the 35-year-old is eligible to sign a two-year, $111 million extension with his new team.

Miami has been listening to offers for Butler ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Butler is believed to be most interested in being dealt to Phoenix, Houston, Golden St. or Dallas.

Without Butler, Miami beat the Magic 125-119 in double overtime on Monday. The Heat took the money as a 1.5-point home underdog, and the 244 combined points soared ‘over’ the 206.5-point total.