The Miami Heat suspend Jimmy Butler – again – for two games after a missed flight

Once again, the Miami Heat will suspend Jimmy Butler.

The Heat will suspend Butler for an upcoming two-game road trip after he missed a team flight to Milwaukee, story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by multiple sources. The team canceling practice and flying to Wisconsin early may have had something to do with it, but Butler planned to fly on his own and meet the team and then play Thursday night, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Whatever the reason, the Heat organization will be happy to have the distraction that is Butler away from the locker room.

Butler was recently suspended for seven games by the team for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Like that suspension, the players union will likely appeal this one and get Butler some or all of his money back, but it’s a slow process, so he’ll be out of the team for a few games.

Butler has played in three games since returning from the initial suspension, averaging 13 points and 5.7 assists a game.

Momentum is building toward a Butler trade, very possibly to his preferred destination Phoenix, where he could team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The challenge with that trade is that Phoenix would have to send out Bradley Beal, and Beal has a no-trade clause and can veto any deal. Miami isn’t interested in owing the 31-year-old former All-Star $110 million over the next two years. That means at least a third team (and maybe a fourth and fifth) will have to be brought in to take on Beal and figure it all out — and Beal has to approve it all. One of those teams could turn out to be Milwaukee, which was rumored to have an interest, but Beal’s agent shot down the idea that he would automatically waive the no-trade clause for Milwaukee (or Denver or the Lakers). Plus, with both the Suns and Bucks above the second tax bracket — which brings a number of trade restrictions — it’s going to be a complicated trade to make work.

Still, it looks like things are building toward some kind of Butler deal getting done.

Miami will try to keep the drama of all that down by suspending Butler. Again.