Miami Heat Suspends Jimmy Butler Again for “Insubordinate Conduct”

Jimmy Butler at Levi's x Victor Cruz Dinner in 2020
Jimmy Butler at Levi's x Victor Cruz Dinner in 2020. Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Levi's/Shutterstock (10543854j)

Jimmy Butler recently returned from a seven-game suspension, but it didn’t take long for the Miami Heat to bench him again. They suspended the star guard for two games after he missed the team’s flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday, citing “insubordinate conduct” as the reason for their decision.

The Heat released an official statement explaining they’ve suspended the 35-year-old six-time All-Star for two games “for a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct, and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today’s team flight to Milwaukee.”

Miami previously suspended Butler for seven games on January 3, citing multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team. They released a statement saying that Butler has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team through his actions and statements, adding they’ll “listen to offers” after he’s indicated a wish to be traded.

The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors emerged as some of the potential trade destinations for Butler, according to ESPN‘s Shams Charania, but he’d reportedly prefer to be traded to the Phoenix Suns. He’s currently in the last guaranteed year of his contract with the Heat and has a player option worth more than $52 million for next season.

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