Butler could return from his seven-game suspension on Friday. Will his stalemate with Heat end or further fester tension?

Q: The one thing about the Miami Heat is they are relevant and being talked about year after year – whether it’s a superstar saying he only wants to be traded to the Heat or a star player saying he’d rather play for anybody but the Heat. Beats the alternative, I guess. – Douglas.

The 35-year-old is eligible to return to the court for Miami's contest against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 17, at which point the Heat would expect "Butler to rejoin the team and play in games" so long as he's still on the roster, per Chiang.