MIAMI _ Thursday marked what the Miami Heat initially said would be the end of Dion Waiters' suspension, with no update from the team.
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 was a 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 posts have surfaced since Tuesday.
Unlike Johnson, who was kept away from the team during training camp for failing to meet Heat conditioning standards, 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. Based on his absences this week, regardless of the immediate further clarification of his status, he stands to also miss this weekend's road games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, possibly to be left behind for conditioning. Waiters has not made the 70-game bonus in either previous season on his four-year, $52 million contract that runs through 2020-21.
Perimeter 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.
The Heat are scheduled to practice Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena and fly immediately afterward to Milwaukee.
