Jimmy Butler saga takes another strange turn following second Heat suspension

Jimmy Butler desperately wants out of South Beach. So much so that he's taken matters into his own hands, rattling the Miami Heat front office's cages. He already served a seven-game ban for"conduct detrimental to the team," though that ostensibly wasn't enough, so they're suspending him for two more contests.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Heat told Butler to stay home after he missed Miami's flight for their upcoming two-game road trip. While the six-time All-Star forward reportedly "had plans" to join his Heat teammates against the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, that's no longer an option.

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Jimmy Butler saga takes another strange turn following second Heat suspension

Butler was back in the Heat lineup for three games following his first team-mandated hiatus, but patience is seemingly wearing thin on all sides. Speaking on SportsCenter, Charania deemed this an "untenable situation," one that is taking a toll on the other members of Miami's locker room.

"In the words of some of their coaches and players: Distraction, chaos ... a lack of clarity," Charania said.

Meanwhile, Butler has made his desire to get traded to the Phoenix Suns crystal clear. He even donned purple and orange shoes in Miami's 116-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. With that in mind, his latest actions feel like a tactic to expedite the process and get him re-routed to the Valley. But where do things go from here?

Butler's interest in Phoenix is mutual. However, the cap-strapped and asset-depleted franchise lacks the resources to meet Miami's asking price, which has complicated matters. Nevertheless, the Suns have taken a dramatic step forward to facilitate a blockbuster swap by tripling their tradeable first-round pick count. Could this most recent suspension be the straw that breaks the camel's back?

With Butler continuing to cause commotion in Miami and the Suns acquiring additional draft capital, is the writing on the wall? The stars are aligning for a deal to materialize before the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline.