DURHAM, N.C. -- Cooper Flagg wrapped the first half of Duke's 74-64 win over NC State with just five points, and during a late timeout, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer had some particularly pointed comments for his star freshman.

"He told me I was being finesse, soft," Flagg said. "Coach is always honest with me about what he thinks. That's what I need. It's about responding well, and hearing that helps me a lot."

He responded with force.

Flagg put up 23 second-half points and added five rebounds, an emphatic block and two assists, including a nifty dish to Sion James for a dunk just as the shot clock was about to expire.

Flagg's fireworks keyed Duke, which erased a four-point halftime deficit to finish with a double-digit triumph.

"In that timeout, I challenged him because his game is not just about scoring but his game is about impacting winning in every facet. He knew it. Credit him for responding."

Flagg said that type of criticism from his coach is exactly what drew him to Duke, and Scheyer said Flagg's willingness to accept coaching is one of the traits that sets him apart.

"I could go on all day about Cooper, how coachable he is," Scheyer said. "There's maybe a few times throughout the year where he's not going to like everything you say. A lot of guys will fight it, not acknowledge it. It's a credit to him and the relationship he's allowed us to develop, telling each other the truth."

Scheyer chalked up some of Flagg's early tentativeness to playing a second game in three days -- something Flagg hadn't yet done -- after a physical outing against Wake Forest on Saturday. The coach said the sluggish first half ignited Flagg at halftime, however, getting him "a little mad."

Flagg said learning experiences are part of why he came to Duke and that Scheyer's willingness to "let me work through some things" is critical. But his takeaway from his five-point first half on Monday was that the time for taking a back seat on the court is over.

"It's not a choice anymore; I have to be aggressive," Flagg said. "What Coach has told me is that's going to create for everyone else. In the first half, I felt that a little more -- just being passive and playing soft. I can't create for anyone else that way. I can't get anyone else open if I'm playing soft. For me, it's no longer a choice of if I want to be aggressive or not. I have to be aggressive at all times."

Despite Flagg's heroics, NC State was within a point with 4:21 to play, as Duke struggled to pull away. But an extended break courtesy of Duke big man Khaman Maluach offered a final chance for the Blue Devils to prep for a late push.

Maluach had been taking fluids earlier in the game, but after a Wolfpack foul under the basket, the Duke freshman turned and vomited along the baseline. Officials paused the game, and a cleanup crew quickly gathered with a few dozen towels to soak up the mess. After the long delay, the game was stopped again as a Duke student was helped out of the stands after falling unconscious. A Duke spokesman said the student was fine and ultimately left the arena under her own power.

"That was just a little bit of a breather to set up and get stops and go on a run," said Flagg, who helped Duke finish on an 11-2 run after Maluach's departure. "It was a break to collect myself."

Scheyer said Maluach hadn't been ill but was cramping.

The two demanding contests in three days took a toll all around on Duke, Scheyer said, but the response he saw from his best player down the stretch was a reminder of just how much these Blue Devils have left in the tank.

"Coop is a special guy," Scheyer said. "He got angry. He just had a chip. And when you do that, you forget about being tired. And he had some all-time plays to will us back. That's a credit to his spirit, what he did in the second half."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets have a new coach, a new general manager and a new approach to star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Glenn, who was introduced Monday in a news conference with general manager Darren Mougey, made it clear that he doesn't consider any player bigger than the team. Glenn was noncommittal on Rodgers, saying the future Hall of Famer will be evaluated just like everyone else on the roster.

"This thing is not about Aaron Rodgers, folks. This is about the roster," Glenn told reporters after his news conference. "We plan on building the best roster that we can. So, whatever that may be -- guard, tackle, defensive tackle -- that's what we're evaluating.

"Listen, everybody's under the microscope. That's just what it is."

It's a new day at One Jets Drive.

Glenn said that he has exchanged texts with Rodgers, and that he hopes to speak with him soon. Other than that, the newly hired coach declined to get into much detail about Rodgers. Glenn shut down questions from reporters the way he once handled wide receivers as a cornerback for the Jets from 1994 to 2001.

"We're still in the evaluation mode, so for anybody else who's going to ask that, I'm going to give you the same answer," Glenn said. "So don't waste your time. We clear?"

Owner Woody Johnson, whose involvement in personnel matters last season chafed people in the previous regime, said he will leave the Rodgers decision up to Glenn and Mougey. Johnson, whose relationship with the four-time MVP has appeared strained at times, said he will welcome him back if his new hires decide it's best for the team.

"Absolutely," Johnson said. "Aaron's a talent, for sure. He's a Hall of Famer. ... I'm not going to voice my opinion. That's up to them."

The previous regime, which acquired Rodgers in 2023 trade with the Green Bay Packers, catered to him by acquiring some of his former wide receivers and hiring one of his closest friends, Nathaniel Hackett, as the offensive coordinator.

Rodgers, 41, missed virtually the entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles and was uneven in 17 starts in 2024, finishing with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on a 5-12 team. He has said he's undecided on whether he wants to keep playing.

"First and foremost, I've got the utmost respect for Aaron Rogers and what he's done in this league as a player," said Mougey, most recently the Denver Broncos' assistant GM. "[He's] one of the greatest of all time to play the position -- one of the greatest players of all time.

"I know Aaron has his process in the offseason that he goes through. We have ours. But, yeah, that [decision] is going to come. I don't have a timeline on it."

Rodgers is under contract for 2025, but none of his money his guaranteed. He has a $35 million option bonus, a $2.5 million salary and a manageable $23.5 million cap charge. There's a $49 million cap hit if he's released or retires; it can be spread over two years.

If he returns under his existing contract, there will be a $63 million cap hit in 2026 -- a massive charge that would hamper the team's financial flexibility. Rodgers has said he's open to a pay cut if he returns.

"When it comes to the team, it's always a football decision," said Glenn, adding that he and Mougey will study every play from the 2024 season.

Glenn, formerly the Detroit Lions' defensive coordinator, knows what he wants in his quarterback.

"A winner," he said, adding, "Mental and physical toughness."

If the Jets move on from Rodgers, they'll be wading into a shallow pool of free agent options. The in-house alternative is backup Tyrod Taylor, 35, a former starter who played only 36 snaps in 2024. Also on the roster is 2024 fifth-round pick Jordan Travis, who sat out with an injury from college.

The Jets took an unconventional approach to rebuilding their regime, hiring the coach before the GM. The team has revamped its power structure, with both Glenn and Mougey reporting directly to Johnson, according to the owner. Previously, coach Robert Saleh reported to GM Joe Douglas. Mougey will have the final say on personnel matters and the 53-man roster, but he said it will be a collaborative effort with Glenn.

Glenn showed his fiery side at his introductory news conference. Alluding to the Jets' losing history, he declared, "We're the freaking New York Jets and we're built for this s---!"

A popular player in his day, and later a scout for the Jets (2012-13), Glenn was greeted by no fewer than 10 former Jets, many of them his former teammates. He interviewed with four other teams but said this was the only job he wanted.

"We're going to do some magical things here, bro," he said, turning to Mougey. "Some magical things. I look forward to it."

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Caleb Love hit a game-tying heave from beyond half court at the end of regulation -- in what he later called the "best moment of my life" -- and made two more 3-pointers in overtime, finishing with 22 points and lifting Arizona to an 86-75 win over No. 3 Iowa State on Monday night.

The Cyclones (17-3, 7-2 Big 12) appeared to be in control when Joshua Jefferson hit one of two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining, but they left too much time on the clock.

Love, who was 1-for-10 on 3s at that point, took a couple of dribbles and banked in his shot from behind the midcourt logo, sending a roar through McKale Center.

Love then hit two corner 3s in overtime, and Carter Bryant added another to cap Arizona's first win over a top-five opponent as an unranked team since beating No. 3 UCLA in 1979.

"They were better down the stretch in regulation than we were; you're just trying to hang in there and give yourself a chance," said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd. "Desperation 3 was probably not the chance you're trying to give yourself -- but it made for great theater.

"It was a great moment for Arizona basketball."

Love's shot at the buzzer was his second career go-ahead or game-tying field goal in the final 10 seconds; as a sophomore with North Carolina against Syracuse on Feb. 28, 2022, he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from roughly 30 feet with eight seconds left.

"You just got to give it up to God at that point," Love said of his shot against the Cyclones. "We practice half-courters in shootaround, you know, that's the fun of it. We do that shot at practice, and like I said, you got to give it up to God, and that was all him."

Love noted that he always is going to have confidence in himself to keep shooting, whether he's "1-for-10 or 10-for-10 ... you got to have confidence in yourself that the next one's going in."

Tobe Awaka finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats (14-6, 8-1).

Tamin Lipsey scored 18 points, and Keshon Gilbert added 17 to lead the Cyclones.

Iowa State had a seven-point advantage in the first half before Arizona answered with the biggest run against the Cyclones this season, scoring 16 straight points to go up 34-25.

Lipsey, who registered 14 first-half points, pulled the Cyclones within 34-30 at halftime on a corner 3.

The Cyclones have had a knack for pulling out close wins, but they fell flat after Love's heave. It was their fifth loss to an unranked opponent as a top-five team and their second such defeat this season (Jan. 18 at West Virginia).

Arizona outscored Iowa State 15-4 in overtime. The Wildcats' 11-point margin of victory tied their largest in an OT game in program history.

Iowa State shot 1-of-6 and had three turnovers in the extra period.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green is nearing a return to practice this week but power forward Jonathan Kuminga will be out at least another two weeks.

Green has been cleared to rejoin parts of team practice this week after being out the past four games with a calf injury, the team said. Green has been doing light on-court work. He suffered the calf injury on Jan. 18 in the first three minutes of a win over Washington.

Kuminga has missed the past three weeks since suffering a sprained right ankle on Jan. 4 against Memphis. He has been out for 11 games. The Warriors said Kuminga is expected to begin light on-court individual workouts in the next week.

"He's not close to coming back," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Kuminga on Saturday. "He's on a bike just now. He's not been on the court in any other capacity other than just shooting stationary shots. So it's going to be some time."

The Warriors have been getting a little healthier as Brandin Podziemski (abdomen) and Gary Payton II (calf) recently return from injuries.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball left Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter with a left ankle injury.

He did not return, and the Hornets lost 112-107.

Ball had just made a 3-pointer off one foot and was backpedaling down the court when he stepped on Jarred Vanderbilt's foot and fell backward, hitting his head hard on the floor. Ball then got up, intentionally fouled to stop the clock and then walked directly to the locker room under his own power with a slight limp.

He scored seven points in nine minutes before the injury.

Hornets coach Charles Lee said after the game he had no immediate update on Ball's status moving forward or how much time he might miss.

Ball has had a history of ankle injuries since being drafted by the Hornets with the third pick in 2020. He has missed 158 games during his NBA career due to injury.

Ball has been wearing braces this season to help protect his ankles.

He came in averaging a career-best 28.9 points but was not chosen an All-Star starter despite leading all Eastern Conference guards in voting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BOSTON -- Amen Thompson hit a game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds left and finished with 33 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 114-112 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

Dillon Brooks shot 10-of-15 from 3-point range and led Houston with 36 points. The Rockets won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Jaylen Brown had 28 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum added 19 after a scoreless first half. Luke Kornet had 18, and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 to go with eight rebounds.

Rockets leading scorer Jalen Green was held to 12 points.

Thompson broke free off an inbounds play and went in for an easy dunk, pushing Houston in front 112-110. After a timeout, Tatum got the ball near midcourt and drove in for the tying layup with 5.3 seconds left. Thompson responded by taking the ball from just outside the 3-point line and driving to the rim to hit the winner over Brown.

"That was my first game-winner," said Thompson, who set a career high with his 33 points. "I feel like Kobe."

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla blamed himself for the last two defensive breakdowns.

"Those last two plays were on me," he said. "Those were my fault. Didn't put us in the best matchups. I saw the play that they were trying to run, and I tried to change the matchups and put our guys in a tough spot."

The Celtics easily won the first meeting between the teams in Houston on Jan. 3.

Houston coach Ime Udoka said before the game that forward Cam Whitmore was "sick and back at the hotel." For the Celtics, center Al Horford was a very late scratch after going through warmups, while Derrick White (bruised right shin) and Sam Hauser (right hip) were both out.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Miami Heat have suspended forward Jimmy Butler without pay for an indefinite period of time after the disgruntled star walked out of practice Monday, the team announced.

It's the third time Butler has been suspended by the Heat in recent weeks, and it comes as he was expected to return from his second suspension Monday night against the Orlando Magic. The Heat said the latest suspension will last at least five games, which will take it through the NBA's trade deadline Feb. 6.

The Heat were planning to replace Butler in the starting lineup with Haywood Highsmith beginning with Monday's game against Orlando, sources said, but he responded to the news by walking out of the morning shootaround.

"The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services," Miami said in its statement. "This includes walking out of practice earlier today."

Butler missed nine of Miami's previous 12 games because of the prior suspensions, the first of which was for seven games due to conduct that the Heat deemed detrimental. After Butler returned for three games, the Heat suspended him for two games after he missed a team flight to Milwaukee last week.

The veteran has requested a trade, and the Heat have said they are working to find a deal. Butler faces losing $532,737 per game under the latest suspension.

Without Butler, the Heat rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat Orlando 125-119 in double overtime.

"What it means right now is just we proved to ourselves that we have a tremendous amount of grit," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You know, and you gain confidence from that."

The Heat next play at home Wednesday against Cleveland. After that, they leave for a four-game trip to San Antonio, Chicago, Philadelphia and Brooklyn -- that Nets game getting played Feb. 7, one day after the deadline.

"For me, this shows that through all the noise and all the chaos, we can still win," Heat captain Bam Adebayo said after Monday's win. "We still can come together and be a great team."

The Associated Press contributed this report.

The Miami Heat suspended Jimmy Butler again on Monday, the third suspension for their disgruntled star over the past month but the one that appears to signal the end of his six-year tenure with the team.

The Heat said the latest suspension -- triggered by Butler walking out of practice after hearing the team planned to bring him off the bench -- will take this ongoing drama through the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.

The indefinite suspension all but closes a complicated chapter of Butler's 14-year career. A six-time All-Star, an Eastern Conference finals MVP and the leader of two teams that went to the NBA Finals, Butler has taken each of his four franchises to heights they have struggled to replicate without him.

Yet Miami is seeing firsthand how uncomfortable Butler can make life when he is unhappy. His exit strategies have become legendary: confrontational practice sessions, clashes with coaches and an overall push to make the situation untenable. Butler already had missed nine of Miami's past 12 games with suspensions, the first being seven games for conduct the Heat deemed detrimental and the next for two games for missing a team flight to Milwaukee last week, before his latest penalty on Monday.

If Butler has played his final game for the Heat, then it's a chance to take a look back at the veteran's tumultuous NBA career and how each situation devolved from promising potential to painful breakup.

Chicago Bulls (2011 to 2017)

• October 2014: Butler turned down a reported four-year, $40 million offer from the Bulls following a career year. He believed he could make more after the following season.

• 2014-16: During his rise with the Bulls, Butler ran into issues with veterans Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Both were traded following the 2015-16 season.

• July 9, 2015: After turning down an extension the previous season, Butler signed a five-year, $90 million max contract.

• Dec. 20, 2015: Following a loss, Butler criticized new coach Fred Hoiberg. "You got to hold everyone accountable; everybody has to do their job," Butler said.

• January 2017: With tension in the locker room growing, Rajon Rondo stood up for the younger Bulls players in a meeting. The rift led to fines for Butler, Rondo and Dwyane Wade after their remarks went public.

• June 22, 2017: Butler was traded to Minnesota for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick in the 2017 draft after a drama-filled season in Chicago.

Butler arrived in Chicago as the 30th pick in the 2011 draft, but quickly ascended up the depth chart.

He did not play much as a rookie, but by his third season, he developed into a consistent starter, carrying the team while Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were sidelined by injuries. By Year 4, Butler made his first All-Star team and ushered the Bulls into a new era, shifting from a team led by Noah and Rose into one centered on its emerging superstar. And Butler was intent on putting his stamp on the franchise, demanding the same dedication it took for him to rise from the end of the bench to star player at all levels.

The Bulls hired Fred Hoiberg as coach in 2015 and he immediately clashed with Butler, who signed a new five-year max contract. By December, Butler was criticizing Hoiberg after games, saying he needed to coach harder. Butler also clashed with Noah during the 2015-16 season, which led to heated disagreements throughout the year, sources told ESPN at the time. Chicago put together the misguided three alphas of Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo for the 2016-17 season in an attempt to compete, but after a first-round playoff exit, the Bulls fielded multiple calls for Butler on draft night 2017 -- the second straight year they tried to trade him at the draft -- before finally sending him to Minnesota.

The deal marked the end of the Butler era in Chicago. It also sent the Bulls into a rebuild from which they haven't recovered. Chicago has made the playoffs only once since trading Butler, when it lost in the first round in 2022 against the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2017 to 2019)

• Jan. 16, 2018: Only months into his time with the Timberwolves, Butler called out the team's attitude on the court. "I'm glad we lost," he said following a defeat to the Orlando Magic.

• July 3, 2018: Following Minnesota's first-round loss to the Houston Rockets, sources indicated that Butler was "fed up" with the Wolves' young roster, including forward Karl-Anthony Towns.

• July 13, 2018: After the disappointing playoff exit, Butler turned down a four-year extension.

• Sept. 20, 2018: Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Butler requested a trade from Minnesota.

• Oct. 10, 2018: In his first practice since requesting a trade, Butler yelled at Minnesota general manager Scott Layden as the team scrimmaged. "You f---king need me, Scott. You can't win without me," Butler said. He played with bench players during the practice and famously beat the starters and "regulars" throughout the scrimmages.

• Oct. 10, 2018: Later that day, Butler sat down with ESPN's Rachel Nichols to discuss the heated practice and his future with the franchise.

• Nov. 10, 2018: A month later, the Wolves agreed to trade Butler to Philadelphia for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick.

Butler's trade from Chicago reunited him with his former Tom Thibodeau. Butler's first season in Minnesota was a success, as he made the All-Star team for the fourth consecutive year and led the Wolves to the postseason, breaking a 13-year drought of playoff basketball. However, Butler missed 17 games late in the season, and the Timberwolves tumbled from fourth in the standings to eighth. They were quickly dispatched by the top-seeded Houston Rockets. The following summer, Butler and the Wolves were not able to reach a contract extension, leading to trade rumors that began swirling by the start of training camp.

Butler missed the first two weeks of camp after requesting a trade, and when he returned, he unleashed his frustration on the rest of the team in a now-famous practice session. He dominated his teammates on the court and yelled at them off it, targeting his ire at Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Thibodeau and then-Wolves GM Scott Layden, whom Butler told, "You f---ing need me."

And yet, Butler was in the starting lineup for the Wolves when they opened the regular season, though his tenure in Minnesota was all but over. After a two-month saga, Butler played 10 games for the Wolves to begin the 2018-19 season before being sent to Philadelphia in November.

Philadelphia 76ers (2018-19)

• Nov. 12, 2018: The trade was completed, with Butler and Justin Patton arriving in Philadelphia.

• Jan. 4, 2019: A few months into Butler's tenure on the 76ers, the All-Star aggressively challenged coach Brett Brown's big three hierarchy and his own role on offense.

The Sixers, with their trio of Joel Embiid, reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons and Butler, were positioned right away to be a contender in the Eastern Conference and provide a payoff to fans who had just lived through "The Process" rebuilding years. Though Butler wasn't eligible to sign an extension immediately, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported at the time that the forward and the Sixers fully expected to reach a deal on a long-term contract in the summer. But six weeks into Butler's tenure, he "aggressively challenged" coach Brett Brown during a film session, leading to another rift. Butler would go on to criticize Brown's playcalling and put him on blast often in front of the media throughout the season.

Butler played in only 55 games for the Sixers, but he provided highlights, game winners and fourth-quarter takeovers that seemed to prove his point to Brown that more of the offense should be centered around him. Butler was brilliant in the postseason, especially during a thrilling seven-game, second-round series loss against the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors.

Butler was eligible to sign a five-year, $190 million deal with the 76ers in the offseason, but the team elected instead to bet on Tobias Harris, who had been acquired from the LA Clippers in a trade two months after Butler arrived in Philadelphia. The Sixers facilitated a sign-and-trade deal to send him to Miami while bringing Josh Richardson to Philadelphia, though the shooting guard lasted just a season there before being shipped to Dallas. Brown was fired as coach after the following season, and Philadelphia still hasn't made it beyond the second round of the playoffs since 2001.

Three years later Butler exclaimed "Tobias Harris over me?!" after the Heat defeated the 76ers in the playoffs.

Miami Heat (2019 to present)

• March 23, 2022: Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem and head coach Erik Spoelstra got into a heated argument during a timeout in a close game against the Golden State Warriors. Haslem and Butler were shouting at each other, and Spoelstra slammed a clipboard on the floor in frustration. The Heat went on to lose their fourth game in seven matchups.

• May 6, 2024: During an end-of-season news conference, team president Pat Riley addressed some of Butler's on- and off-court antics surrounding the playoffs. Butler sprained a knee in the play-in tournament and did not play in the first round of the playoffs. When asked about Butler's behavior, Riley said, "If you're not on the court playing against Boston, or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut."

• June 26, 2024: Butler and the Heat failed to agree to an extension ahead of the 2024-25 season.

• Dec. 10, 2024: The Heat said they were open to potential trades for Butler.

• Dec. 26, 2024: After ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Butler preferred a trade out of Miami, Riley announced in a statement, "We are not trading Jimmy Butler."

• Dec. 31, 2024: When asked if he wants to be in Miami, Butler responded simply, "That's a good question."

• Jan. 2, 2025: Butler indicated to the Heat that he would like to be traded. "I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we'll find out here pretty soon," Butler said.

• Jan. 14, 2025: In a face-to-face meeting with Riley during his suspension, Butler reiterated his demand to be traded.

• Jan. 22, 2025: Butler was again suspended, this time for two games. The latest instance was for missing a team flight.

• Jan. 23, 2025: Following another suspension, Spoelstra told the Heat roster to "get used to" and "get over" the constant news surrounding the situation.

• Jan. 27, 2025: After being told he was being replaced in the starting lineup, Butler walked out of practice, leading to his third suspension of the month. He is now suspended indefinitely.

The Heat executed a four-team trade to sign Butler to a four-year contract in 2019, and it was instantly a perfect marriage of player and team. The term "Heat Culture" was born and seemed tailor-made for Butler. It was a mantra that fit Butler's ideology as a player who had worked his way from the end of the bench to stardom, as well as the Heat's success in turning unheralded players into playoff contributors.

The Heat went to the NBA Finals during the 2020 bubble, dragged there by Butler, who leaned over the guardrails in exhaustion during a game, an image that would become a meme. In 2021-22, Miami was the No.1 seed in the East and missed returning to the Finals by one game, when a furious comeback in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Boston Celtics fell just short as Butler missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 16 seconds left. A year later, the Heat got revenge on the Celtics, holding off a 3-0 comeback to win in Game 7 in Boston and return to the Finals, this time as a No. 8 seed. Butler's playoff performances became so iconic, the nickname Playoff Jimmy began to stick.

But Butler's postseason performances began to stand in contrast to his regular-season production, especially as injuries kept him out of a combined 40 games during the past two seasons. Butler also missed the Heat's entire first-round playoff loss to the Celtics in 2024 with a sprained MCL but said later during a radio interview that if he'd been healthy, the Heat would have beaten the Celtics, who went on to win the title. Heat president Pat Riley directed a comment toward Butler at his end of the season news conference, saying, "If you're not on the court playing ... you should keep your mouth shut." Then, Riley declined to reward a maximum contract to Butler at age 35, despite the two NBA Finals appearances, again reiterating his desire for the veteran to be on the floor more often.

Butler dropped the antics he had become known for on media day -- emo hair in 2023, dreadlocks the year before that -- and said he wanted to focus on the season ahead. But in December, ESPN reported that Miami was open to trading Butler. When Riley issued a statement the day after Christmas that the Heat "are not trading Jimmy Butler," it was unclear to whom the declaration was directed -- the public or Butler. Meanwhile, Butler was missing in action for most of this time. He rolled an ankle Dec.20 and missed 13 days with an illness.

He returned for a back-to-back in the first two days of the new year, though Butler indicated the team accused him of not playing his hardest in the first game. After the second game, a blowout loss to the Pacers, Butler said he had lost his joy for basketball and that it could "probably not" be found in Miami.

Butler was suspended for seven games Jan. 3, a day after the rant, as Miami issued a second statement: "Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers."

In a meeting with Riley during that suspension, Butler said he would not sign a new deal in Miami and intended to use his $52 million player option for 2025-26 only as a trade maneuver, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Jan. 14. Butler returned for three games, but then received a second suspension Jan. 22 after he missed a team flight to Milwaukee. After he sat out two more games, the team indefinitely suspended Butler on Monday. The third suspension came when the disgruntled star walked out of morning practice after the Heat told him he'd come off the bench moving forward. Now, he'll be suspended for at least five games, which runs through the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez has agreed to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Texas Rangers, the team that drafted the 41-year-old pitcher nearly 23 years ago.

The Rangers also on Monday signed right-hander David Buchanan, outfielder Cody Thomas and catcher Chad Wallach to minor league deals with invitations to big league spring training.

Chavez was 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA in 46 games last season for Atlanta. He has a 51-65 record with a 4.25 ERA in 653 career games (85 starts) over 17 seasons with nine different teams. He was a World Series champion in 2021 with the Braves.

Texas took Chavez in the 42nd round of the 2002 amateur draft, and traded him four years later to Pittsburgh, where he made his big league debut in 2008.

He was 6-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 96 games (nine starts) for the Rangers from 2018-20. He signed with Texas as a free agent before the 2018 season, was traded to the Chicago Cubs later that summer and then re-signed with Texas in free agency before the 2019 season.

The 35-year-old Buchanan made one relief appearance for Cincinnati last season, his first MLB game since 36 starts for Philadelphia from 2014-15 until pitching three seasons in Japan and four in Korea.

Wallach hit seven home runs in 65 games for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, and spent all of last season with their Triple-A team. Thomas, a left-handed hitter who played in 29 games for Oakland in 2022 and 2023, hit .263 with two homers and 19 RBI in 79 games in Japan last year.