Jimmy Butler walked out of the Miami Heat locker room on Friday night wearing a Michael Jordan jersey. It wasn't a No. 23 jersey. It was a No. 45 — the one Jordan briefly wore when he returned to the Chicago Bulls after coming out of retirement in March 1995.

Jimmy Butler is back with the Miami Heat after his suspension, but nothing has really changed. Butler wants the Heat to trade him and the Heat will continue to try to fulfill that request ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline.

There was no pretense of Butler being a vibrant part of the Heat for Friday’s game. He shot by himself in warmups. There was none of the choreographed palm-slapping with teammates that’s a typical part of any pregame. Kevin Love did run out to him just before the center-tap and shake hands. It looked like the first time they’d seen each other.

Though Butler is returning to the court as his team-issued seven-game suspension ends, his dispute with the Heat remains far from resolved.

Will Jimmy Butler make his Heat return on Friday against the Nuggets? Check back here for updates throughout the day

Jimmy Butler, his seven-game, team-imposed suspension completed, returned to score 18 points for the Miami Heat in a 133-113 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The Heat suspended Butler on Jan.

Nothing about the remainder of Jimmy Butler's time in Miami is going to be normal. Whether he finishes out the season, his contract or his career in South Beach, the generally positive vibes around Bu

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler returned to the court after serving a seven-game suspension and made a bold statement about his situation during the postgame interview. The tension between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat organization remains unresolved,