Jimmy Butler’s latest update will worry Heat fans ahead of his return

With Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is likely to return on Friday night when the team hosts the Denver Nuggets, a recent report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne indicates that the drama will intensify like never before. As Butler was taken off the injury report for Friday’s game, he received a seven-game suspension for “behavior detrimental to the team” which Shelbourne sources fear he will continue to engage in.

“Teammates, coaches and employees.” they were already tiredsources said,” Shelburne wrote Friday morning.

There were always expectations that during the suspension, The Heat expected Butler to rejoin the team and even “play games” if a trade isn’t made before then according to Anthony Chang of the Miami Herald. However, ESPN writes that “the fear remains palpable” and that there are team sources who have bluntly said, “We don’t want him back.”

“While Heat sources say they expect Butler to return Friday against the Nuggets and be fully ready to play, there remains a palpable fear of what he might do and the environment the ongoing chaos could create,” Shelburne said. . “I don’t know how he can get back into this locker room,” one source close to the team said. Another said: “We don’t want him back.”

As for a source close to Butler, they told ESPN that “Jimmy didn’t even start” which would imply that there is more drama ahead for the team as he returns to the team and possibly the court. The the strained relationship between Heat and Butler was a disheartening event for fans as they enjoyed several productive seasons with him at the helm as he led the team to two NBA Finals appearances.

The timing of Jimmy Butler’s suspension was to get the Heat out of “chaos”

It started when Butler asked for a contract extension this past offseason which Pat Riley and front offices were optional publicly. Together with Riley tells Butler to “keep his mouth shut” after bragging about beating the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in the playoffs if healthy, the star was “taken aback” by the comments.

The situation culminated on January 2 when Butler said he had lost his “joy” playing basketball and answered “probably not” when asked if it could be returned to Miami. The The Heat would suspend Butler for seven games the next day, which aside from using it as an avenue to explore trade options, the deals weren’t ideal for the team, Shelburne says it was to “create space for the team” to get away from the “chaos.” “

“The purpose of timing the seven-game suspension with the six-game road trip, team sources said,” Shelburne wrote, “was to create room for the team to get out of Miami and away from the chaos the situation has created, while Butler , Heat president Pat Riley and Heat owner Mickey Arison met to talk about their differences.

It remains to be seen what will happen on Friday Butler had meetings with Riley and even owner Mickey Arison on Thursday to determine the best course of action. At this point, Butler will rejoin the team and possibly play in Frieda’s game against the Nuggets.