(CNN) โ The drama in South Beach continues as All-Star forward Jimmy Butler has been suspended by the Miami Heat for the third time this month, the team announced Monday.
Butler will miss at least five games without pay for โa continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team,โ including walking out of Mondayโs shootaround.
According to ESPNโs Shams Charania, Butler left practice after being told he would no longer be in the starting lineup going forward and that forward Haywood Highsmith would start in his place.
Before Mondayโs home game against the Orlando Magic, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said he didnโt address the latest suspension with the team.
โWe didnโt even talk about anything today other than preparing for the Magic,โ Spoelstra told reporters. โI get it what you guys all want right now. I figured that is why this media room is full right now.
โWeโre trying to quiet the noise and weโre just focusing on the task at hand.โ
Butler took the latest suspension in stride, posting on Instagram, three short clips from the 1990โs sitcom show โMartin,โ whose character, Tommy, was known by his friends for being consistently unemployed.
Butler was set to return ๏ปฟto the lineup Monday after serving a two-game suspension when he missed the teamโs flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
His first suspension occurred on January 3 for seven games after โmultiple instances of conduct detrimentalโ to the team, according to the Heat.
In a statement, the team said: โThrough his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.โ
That suspension came after Butler said he would like to be traded and wanted โto get my joy back.โ
Butler is in his his sixth season with the franchise.
He has played and started in 25 games this season, averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game for the Heat, who have a 22-22 record and are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
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