With the Miami Heat’s seven-game unpaid suspension of forward Jimmy Butler scheduled to be completed with Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena, it is what follows the next day that could determine what comes next in the ongoing saga.

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.

Heat owner Micky Arison is expected to meet with Butler ahead of Butler’s scheduled return Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. According to multiple NBA sources familiar with

Friday night was not the end, even with Jimmy Butler’s seven-game unpaid Miami Heat suspension drawing to a close. Instead, based on Butler’s postgame comments, as the Heat turned from Friday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets to Sunday’s visit by the San Antonio Spurs,

Butler met with Heat president Pat Riley last week, and then met with Heat owner Micky Arison and chief executive officer Nick Arison on Thursday, according to league sources. Through it all, Butler has remained adamant about his desire to be traded.

Butler is owed $48M for the remainder of this season and then holds a $52 million player option for next year. There have been rumors that Butler could opt out of his deal to enter free agency this coming summer but the likelihood of Butler leaving over $50 million on the table is low.