Jimmy Butler will rejoin the Miami Heat for Friday night’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets after his seven-game suspension ends. He is expected to be in the Heat’s starting lineup. Chris Haynes reports.
Butler last played with the Heat on Jan. 2 against the Indiana Pacers, scoring nine points and four assists in 27 minutes. After the game, he told reporters, “I want to get the joy back,” and said that probably wouldn’t happen in Miami. The team suspended Butler the next day for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”
In 22 games this season, Butler has averaged 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists and has shot 38% on three-pointers.
Tensions between Butler and the Heat became public after Miami was eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Butler missed the entire five-game series with a knee injury suffered during a play-in loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He irritated team president Pat Riley by saying Miami would have beaten the Celtics if he could have played.