Butler in starting lineup vs. Nuggets following 7-game suspension

Jimmy Butler was in the starting lineup for the Miami Heat against the Denver Nuggets on Friday after completing his seven-game suspension, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra announced.

"You're looking for drama. I'm looking for getting this team ready to play at a high level," Spoelstra said pregame, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The Heat coach didn't mention Butler by name.

Miami's starting five will also include Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, and Bam Adebayo, per The Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang. The quintet is Miami's most-used starting lineup this season.

Butler's agent, Bernard Lee, announced the 35-year-old's return earlier Friday by mimicking Michael Jordan's infamous 1995 press release.

However, some members of the Heat are dreading Butler's return, reports ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

The concern reportedly revolves around what Butler could do and the impact any resulting chaos would have on the team's environment.

Players, coaches, and staff members have apparently tired of Butler's antics during the ongoing standoff between himself and the team. However, one source close to Butler told Shelburne that "Jimmy hasn't even really started."

"I don't know how he can come back to this locker room," a source close to the team told Shelburne.

"We don't want him back," a different individual said.

The Heat suspended the six-time All-Star on Jan. 3 for "multiple" instances of conduct detrimental to the team.

Butler claimed he had lost his "joy" playing basketball after a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 2. He also said it probably wouldn't return with the Heat.

Butler hasn't publicly demanded a trade, but he reportedly requested a move during a face-to-face meeting with Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley. He apparently intends to use his upcoming $52-million player option as a trade maneuver.

"There's an expectation of how we compete and how we compete for each other," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said six days after Butler's suspension was announced, according to Shelburne. "Off the court, there's a level of professionalism and a standard there."

Spoelstra continued: "We're not for everyone. Some people are drawn to it, some people aren't. We're not making apologies for it."

Butler is having his worst statistical season since joining Miami in the 2019 offseason, averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 22 games.

The Heat's leading scorer, Tyler Herro, believes the team has rallied around one another in Butler's absence.

"We've got enough, and that's all that matters," Herro said last week.

Miami went 3-4 during Butler's absence and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.