For the second time this season, the Miami Heat suspended guard Dion Waiters for what was termed “conduct detrimental to the team.”
The suspension is for 10 games and includes Friday’s night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Miami Heat have suspended guard Dion Waiters 10 games for "conduct detrimental to the team."
The suspension began with Friday night's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, when Waiters was not with the team for the game at Staples Center.— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 10, 2019
During the team’s flight into Los Angeles to face the Lakers, Waiters suffered a seizure on the team plane. The apparent cause was his ingesting of an excess of THC-infused gummies.
The Heat and Waiters have continually been at odds since training camp, with the length of this second suspension clearly indicating their aggravation with the veteran. Waiters was suspended for the team’s opener on Oct. 23, but has yet to play this season.
As a result of the suspension, Waiters will not be able to collect the $1.15 million bonus that was part of the four-year contract he signed in 2017. That bonus was for playing in at least 70 regular season contests. Prior to inking that deal, Waiters was attempting to deal with a nagging injury that ultimately caused him to miss large portions of the past two seasons.
The Heat’s frustration with Waiters has led them to pursue possible trades, but there have yet to be any serious bidders for his services. In light of this most recent suspension, the likely level of interest should drop even further.
