First some bookkeeping, then a tasty morsel ... even as Pat Riley would prefer days ahead being a bit less spicy than these past few. When it comes to the he said/he said in the Jimmy Butler debate, one significant element somehow has gotten lost in the timing element going forward for the Miami Heat: It does not matter if Jimmy Butler is still on the Heat books with his $52.

Saturday’s game against the Hawks marks the start of a back-to-back set for the Heat. Miami will close its three-game trip on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, with Butler’s status for that game also up in the air.

TNT analyst Steve Smith was drafted by the Miami Heat. He also returned later in his career when Pat Riley was in the organization. So he knows the franchise. Which is why Smith said he felt Riley was bluffing when he said he wasn't trading star Jimmy Butler this season.