
When the Miami Heat suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games, they cited “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”
However, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, a source revealed that the team initially considered suspending Butler for “failure to render services.”
This distinction would have significantly impacted Butler’s salary loss. A suspension for conduct detrimental to the team results in a player losing 1/145th of their full-season salary per game, amounting to $2,355,798 in Butler’s case.
On the other hand, a failure to render services suspension would have cost Butler 1/91.6th of his salary per game, totaling $3,729,157.
It’s unclear whether the Heat ultimately decided not to pursue this route or were prevented from doing so, as it would likely have required proof that Butler, despite playing in games before the suspension, had actively refused to fulfill his contractual obligations.
After the Heat’s announcement, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) issued a statement expressing plans to file a grievance, and it’s likely that the union would have been even more vocal if the Heat had pursued the failure to render services claim, which would have resulted in a larger salary reduction.
Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Jovic, Highsmith https://t.co/B8GYEvjhcr pic.twitter.com/PhHy7KVBdP
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 12, 2025