With Wednesday night’s 117-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers marking the end of the Heat’s six-game West Coast trip and the end of Butler’s team-issued seven-game suspension, he’s eligible to return when the Heat opens a three-game homestand on Friday against the Denver Nuggets (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun).

Tensions are high, but Butler can bolster his own market by playing well for Miami when his suspension ends after Wednesday's game in LA.

Sports Illustrated has proposed a three-team Jimmy Butler trade that would see the Heat star heading to Los Angeles.

If history is an indicator, Jimmy Butler is gone. Perhaps not in the moment, perhaps not this month, but when it comes to suspensions and sanctions issued during the Pat Riley era, a parting is

Jimmy Butler is upping his efforts to get out of Miami. The Heat superstar met with team president Pat Riley face-to-face last week to reiterate his desire to be traded away from the franchise, according to a report from ESPN.

Carmelo Anthony has made a bold Jimmy Butler to Los Angeles Lakers claim as a Miami Heat exit seems like only a matter of time.

The defeat to the Lakers also marked the first game back by Heat center Bam Adebayo as he missed the Clippers game because of a lower back contusion. He suffered the injury in the win over the Portland Trail Blazers last Saturday after a bad fall right on the back which made him inactive for the first time this season.

It was a 117-108 win for the Lakers and while it was not LeBron James ' best game by any means, he did step up to the plate in the fourth quarter. 9 of LeBron's 22 points on the night came in the fourth quarter, as he led all players in fourth quarter scoring to guide the Lakers over the line.

The Miami Heat's three-game NBA losing streak has put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Jimmy Butler's return to the lineup has fueled speculation, prompting Kendrick Perkins, a former LeBron James teammate,

The game is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on ESPN. Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial. They can also watch with FuboTV, which offers $30 off your first month, or SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available.

The six-time All-Star is eligible to return from suspension Friday, but the tension surrounding the team remains palpable, writes Mark Medina.