The Miami Heat suspended Jimmy Butler again on Monday, the third suspension for their disgruntled star over the past month but the one that appears to signal the end of his six-year tenure with the team.
The Heat said the latest suspension — triggered by Butler walking out of practice after hearing the team planned to bring him off the bench — will take this ongoing drama through the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.
The indefinite suspension all but closes a complicated chapter of Butler’s 14-year career. A former six-time All-Star, Eastern Conference Finals MVP and the leader of two teams that went to the NBA Finals, Butler has taken each of his four franchises to heights they have struggled to replicate without him.
Yet, Miami is currently seeing firsthand how uncomfortable Butler can make life when he is unhappy. His exit strategies have become legendary: confrontational practice…
