Waiters to rejoin Heat on Monday
Suspension over, next step for veteran is conditioning
MIAMI — The Miami Heat on Thursday clarified Dion Waiters’ status with the team: He no longer is on suspension, but will not rejoin the team until Monday.
Thursday marked what the Miami Heat initially said would be the end of Waiters’ suspension.
The revised schedule will have Waiters rejoining the team after being kept back from this weekend’s road games on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks and
Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the interim, Waiters will work on his conditioning.
Saturday night, in the wake of Waiters’ run-in with coach Erik Spoelstra amid nominal playing time in a preseason loss to the Houston Rockets last Friday, Heat President Pat Riley issued a statement regarding Waiters that read:
“There were a number of unacceptable incidents this week, culminating with his unprofessional conduct on the bench last night. As a consequence, I feel we had to suspend him.”
Accompanying that statement release from the team that read:
“The Miami Heat announced today that Dion Waiters has been suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. He will be able to return to the team on Thursday.”
That suspension was served Wednesday, when the Heat opened their season with a 120-101 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
The Heat had Thursday off, a required day off by the NBA, with the team either practicing, playing or traveling every other day this week.
Teammate James Johnson said Waiters has been working out in the interim and keeping in touch with teammates.
Since the suspension, Waiters had taken to social media several times, questioning both Spoelstra and his treatment.
On one Instagram post Waiters commented, “I would win if I had Bron & Wade plus Bosh.” That was in reference to Spoelstra coaching the Heat to four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and 2012 and ‘13 titles with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
To another Instagram post Waiters commented, “It’s not my ego. I’ll play whateva role it’s has nothing to do with basketball. I seen the writing on the wall.”
And another post was a more cryptic, “Eventually the truth will come to the light.”
No further Waiters since Tuesday.
The Heat have not commented what, if any impact, the posts have Waiters’ standing with the team.
Unlike Johnson, who was kept away from the team during training camp for failing to meet Heat conditioning standposts was have
asurfaced
on on
ards, Waiters had been allowed to work toward his own goals while practicing with teammates prior to his suspension. He was not on the practice court with teammates Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.
Waiters has a $1.2 million bonus in his contract for appearing in at least 70 games. By being held out of the two weekend games, it further cuts into his 82-game schedule. Waiters has not made the 70-game bonus in either previous season on his four-year, $52 million contract that runs through 2020-21.
Perimeters players Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro thrived amid Waiters’ absence in Wednesday’s victory. Prized offseason acquisition Jimmy Butler missed that game for personal reasons but is expected back for Saturday’s game.