On Thursday, Jimmy Butler made it clear that he no longer wanted to play for Miami.

On Friday, the Heat let Butler know the feeling was mutual.

Miami suspended Butler for seven games on Friday. It might as well have been 70. After a nine-point stinker in 27 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday – which was followed by a nine-point stinker in 25 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans a day earlier – Butler told reporters that he had lost his joy in the game. Asked if he could get it back in Miami, Butler replied, “Probably not.”

Butler isn’t coming back. Not on January 17th when he is eligible. Not always. Last week, Heat president Pat Riley stated that the team would not trade Butler. On Friday, Miami put all that behind them. In a statement announcing the suspension, the team said: “Through his actions and statements, (Butler) has demonstrated that he no longer wants to be a part of this team.” Butler and his representative Bernie Lee, the latter who the who spent December humiliating an ESPN reporter for accurately reporting Butler’s troubles with Miami, “have indicated they want to be traded, so we’ll listen to offers.”

On Thursday, Butler hinted that his diminished role was the reason for his dissatisfaction. “I want to play basketball,” Butler said. Nonsense. This is about money. Butler wants a contract extension. Miami doesn’t want to give it to him. At 35, Butler wants a nine-figure deal that will get him into retirement. The Heat don’t want to be the ones paying for it.

A manager of an opposing team said: “There is no easier situation than this.”

Butler can terminate his contract after this season. But he doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want to leave $52 million – the amount the Heat owe Butler in his option year – on the table in free agency. Where to go? Brooklyn? The Nets are tearing their team apart. Detroit? The pistons aren’t there yet. Washington? San Antonio? Which team that has the flexibility to sign Butler outright makes him an attractive offer?

Butler’s best chance to make money is through a trade. He is eligible for a two-year extension that could pay him $111 million. He can’t do that in Miami, which is built around Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. – all 27 years old or younger. A new team could give him one. Note that Butler is reportedly interested in the teams: Phoenix, Golden State, Dallas and Houston. Three of them – the Suns, Warriors and Mavericks – are experienced teams desperate to keep their championship windows open. The Rockets are an up-and-coming team in desperate need of an experienced fourth-quarter scorer.

That’s what Butler wants. But what does Riley do? The Heat have reportedly prioritized cap flexibility. If Butler were to leave this summer, Miami would be $47 million under the luxury tax, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. This would give them access to tools such as the $14 million intermediate tax-free exemption and the $5.1 million semi-annual exemption, with more than $50 million in expiring commercial contracts.

In other words, Riley and the Heat can go shopping.

The Butler trade is complicated. The new NBA rules make it difficult to deal with a player whose salary is as high as Butler’s ($49 million this season). In order to move Butler, Miami could be forced to accept a long-term salary. And nothing the Heat have done recently suggests they’re ready to do that.

This could get messy. Butler and the National Basketball Players Association plan to file a grievance against the suspension, but that involves money — the seven games will cost Butler $2.35 million in salary — and a resolution won’t be found until long after the suspension. Miami can tell Butler to stay home after the suspension, but there’s only so long before the league office starts grumbling. The Heat may be forced to offload him something before the February 6th trading deadline.

The end of Butler and the Heat isn’t surprising – a war has been brewing between Butler and Riley for months. But it Is disappointing. Miami won’t win a title in the Butler era. But they reached two NBA Finals in five seasons, including an unlikely run as a No. 8 seed in 2023. For a long time, the hard-nosed Butler fit into the Heat’s win-at-all-costs culture. The team and players were so compatible. Until they weren’t anymore.