Depending on how you process any recent Heat news, that latter point feels correct, given some of Butler’s relationships with players on Miami’s roster. That is especially true of younger contributors who have grown to see Butler as a mentor no matter his team-related drama or level of candor.

Jimmy Butler's seven-game suspension is set to end this week. Over the course of his suspension, Butler's trade request has been the talk of the NBA. Recent re

The reason for Larsson starting partly had to do with the Heat suspending Butler for the second time, this one lasting two games as instead of Haywood Highsmith or Nikola Jovic, Spoelstra gave the nod to the 23-year-old. The long-time head coach will continue to see where Larsson can impact the team.