Before things really came to a head with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, team president Pat Riley sat down for a lengthy interview with Dan Le Batard. The episode, released on Thursday, includes Riley's answer to what he's learned and how things are different in the player empowerment era.

On the day an interview with Miami Heat President Pat Riley dropped regarding dealing with player empowerment, further clarity was offered regarding the ongoing team suspension of forward Jimmy Butler.

The ongoing Butler-Heat saga sparked a lively discussion among the studio show’s analysts/former NBA players Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal in the early hours of Wednesday morning after Tuesday night’s games.

It's a volatile situation in Miami as Heat star Jimmy Butler plays out a seven-game suspension. Although it was initially believed that Butler would never return to the Heat, it's being reported by Heat insider Barry Jackson that Butler could rejoin the team unless they find a trade within the next week.

As Jimmy Butler awaits a trade from the Miami Heat, he believes he still has plenty to give to a team willing to strike a deal for him. In fact,