The Miami Heat have quietly gotten off to a tremendous start to their 2019-20 season, but guard Dion Waiters continues to find himself running into trouble off the court. After being suspended for the season opener, Waiters was then hit with a 10-game ban from the team after consuming a THC-infused edible on a team flight and suffering a panic attack.
Now, Waiters will be suspended by Miami for the third time already this season. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat have suspended Waiters for a violation of team rules. Waiters won’t be able to make his return to live-action until Dec. 27.
The Miami Heat have suspended guard Dion Waiters for a third time this season, they announced Thursday, this time for “failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination.”
Waiters will have to sit until after a Dec. 23 game against the Utah Jazz. He had already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers because of illness and will now miss five more games after that. The first game in which he can play is Dec. 27 against the Indiana Pacers.
For Dion Waiters, this is just another step in the negative direction after a disappointing past few years. Once one of the brightest young pieces in the league during his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his career has changed drastically since joining Miami in 2016.
With Waiters picking up his third suspension in less than 30 games, it’s clear that the relationship between him and the Miami Heat is deteriorating. There had already been rumors of a potential trade last season and that noise will only continue to pick up.
In fact, the Heat have been just fine without Waiters in the lineup. It’s freed Miami to give more minutes to some of their younger guards such as rookie Kendrick Nunn who has shined this season. Even with Waiters suspended, don’t expect him to retain a big role once he does make his return, especially considering how well the team is currently playing without him.
