On the day an interview with Miami Heat President Pat Riley dropped regarding dealing with player empowerment, more clarity emerged about the ongoing team suspension of forward Jimmy Butler. Amid the unpaid seven-game suspension of Butler,

For the 119th time since Jimmy Butler joined Miami, the Heat played a game without him. This was different from the others. And it went very — very — badly for Miami. Butler is gone, banished by the Heat for seven games over what they called conduct detrimental to the team — and he's probably not going to play for Miami again.