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.

Butler was informed at shootaround that he would come off the bench behind Haywood Highsmith in this game, which prompted Butler to walk out of shootaround. From there, the Heat suspended Butler “indefinitely,” a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic and since confirmed by the team.

Jimmy Butler's seven-game suspension came to an end Friday night as the star forward returned to action with the Miami Heat, who were promptly smoked by the visiting Denver Nuggets, 133-113.  There were two schools of thought regarding how Butler might approach the game amid his standing trade demand,