The Miami Heat have placed star player Jimmy Butler on indefinite suspension after he walked out of the team’s morning shootaround when told he would not be starting, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke with YSL News Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

The team announced that Butler’s suspension will last for at least five games, citing “continued disregard for team rules, actions harmful to the team, and intentionally withholding his services. This includes leaving practice early today.”

The upcoming five games fall within the timeframe leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

This marks the third time Butler has faced suspension from the Heat this month. Previously, on January 3, he received a seven-game suspension for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team during the season, particularly in recent weeks.” During that first suspension, the Heat indicated that Butler “no longer wants to be part of this team” and that both he and his agent had expressed a desire to be traded, which prompted the team to consider trade offers.

Butler returned to action on January 17 and played three games before being suspended again for two games last week for “continued disregard of team rules, insubordination, and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing a team flight to Milwaukee,” the team stated.

He was reinstated before Miami’s home game against the Orlando Magic on Monday. At the morning shootaround, Butler found out that the team would maintain the same starting lineup from the last game he missed, which meant he would not be starting.

The ongoing tension between Butler and the Heat has intensified this season, but it has been a growing concern over the last two years, particularly due to limited communication between Butler and Heat president Pat Riley.

Butler was instrumental in leading the Heat to the Finals in 2020 and 2023, and he is currently averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, with shooting stats of 54% from the field, 36.1% from three-point range, and 80.1% on free throws.

As of now, the Heat hold a record of 22-22, positioning them eighth in the Eastern Conference, just half a game behind the sixth-place Detroit Pistons.