When Jimmy Butler returned against the Denver Nuggets, his message seemingly hinted at there being peace, until his road out of the Heat side was found. “If I’m here, I will get out there and play,” the playoff specialist had said. It’s been a week, and the 35-year-old received his second suspension this season for a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules.” The situation expectedly takes a toll on the fans and, most importantly, his teammates, who will once again have to recalibrate playing without their talisman.

But at this point, though, they seem numb. Erik Spoelstra spoke to the media ahead of their game against the Bucks. While he never mentioned JB’s name on the availability report, all the reporters were directed not to ask questions about the aloof star. Still, some questions made their way. As far as Jimmy Butler’s 2-game absence is concerned, Coach Spo isn’t worried about the team dynamics.

“Of course. That’s part of the job. We’ve had this happen all season long. We know the exercise and what we need to do to make those adjustments,” he calmly said about the impact of Jimmy Butler’s suspension on the Heat’s game plans.

Historically, the former Wolves forward has been a weapon against the Bucks. However, since his return, Butler hasn’t exactly been immersed in providing ‘for’ the franchise. In 3 games, he has amassed a total of 39 points and the Heat has lost 2 of the three games.

“The point I made to our team is get used to it,” Erik Spoelstra continued. “Get over it. This is the NBA life. This is the life we chose. If you think it’s just going to be predictable, you’re really mistaken.”

Tyler Herro has been the Heat’s distinguished scorer in this complicated stretch. As someone who has spent years with Jimmy Butler, he still admits: “I love Jimmy”. But as far as his conduct, the rising guard didn’t spare any kindness at all. “Not much to talk about. What do you think? It’s probably not the easiest to work with someone who’s in and out in any job,” he said as per the Miami Herald.

Since it has been ‘the story’ of this season, the Heat players have become accustomed to the same. There seems to be no sense of panic. The team captain, Bam Adebayo, is relying on their “next guy up” mentality during this two-game stretch. But the sour truth is the Miami team arguably expected Jimmy Butler to be one of their focal contributors this season, even amidst the contract mess…

And as things stand, it could get worse.

The Heat are listening, but are nowhere close to trading Jimmy Butler!

Every part of the Jimmy Butler trade saga seems to be sorted out. The Heat is working on the same side. The Phoenix Suns- is largely accepted as his next destination, isn’t it? However, the specifics of the deal remain uncertain till now. As per Shams Charania, everybody is awaiting the conclusion of this story because it has the potential to shake up the NBA!

But before anything goes through, three people need to give the green light.

“The whole team is waiting on a Jimmy Butler trade because this could be a 3-4-5 team trade if he ends up in Phoenix… But to get to that point, there’s two people that are going to ultimately sign off on this. That’s Micky Arison, Pat Riley, and Andy Elisburd in that front office as well. And so far they have not found anything that they like,” Charania revealed on First Take.

Stephen A. Smith feels the Heat has to do whatever it takes to offload Butler by the trade deadline. But at the same time, he also feels the 6-time All-Star isn’t being fair to the franchise. “I’m just saying when this happens… you’re not helping yourself, Jimmy Butler, when something like this happens. You told them you want out. Now you go play, until you gone,” said the analyst on First Take.

How do you think this saga plays out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.