MIAMI — After taking the court for the first time in two weeks following the Miami Heat's seven-game layoff, forward Jimmy Butler said Friday night that in less than three weeks his relationship with the team "is where we are right now." position” before the February 6 trade deadline.

"I guess that's basketball," Butler said after scoring 18 points in 33 minutes in a 133-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Casaya Center. “I know what I’m supposed to do while I’m here and do it to the best of my ability, but we’re where we are now.”

The situation on both sides is essentially the same as it was before Butler was suspended a few weeks ago: The star forward is seeking a trade away from Key Biscayne Shores, and the Heat still can't find an acceptable deal.

So, with Butler's suspension over, he returned to the gym Friday night and participated in the team's late-afternoon walkthrough, put his uniform back on and was in the starting lineup. He made 7 of 15 shots, had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a turnover.

"[Has]to get him reacclimated," Heat center Bam Adebayo said of Butler's return. “I mean, we know what Jimmy is capable of, so it’s no surprise that he finds his rhythm at some point and going forward, I feel like he’s going to continue to find his rhythm and we’re going to continue to try to win games. "

In Friday's game, Butler looked a far cry from the force that has led the Heat to three conference finals and two NBA Finals appearances over the past five-plus seasons. His average touch time was 2.75 seconds, his lowest in any game as a member of the Heat, according to Second Spectrum. He's averaging 1.6 dribbles per touch, his second-lowest total of the season.

However, when asked about Butler's level of effort after the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra directed the question to Miami's performance against the Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Poor defense, the latter scored 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

"I don't know," Spoelstra said when asked if Butler needs to be more involved in the offense. "We haven't seen him in a few weeks. He hasn't played a lot, so that might be part of it.

"I know what storylines you're looking for. I'm not going to be part of any of that tonight. We got kicked. I know what you want to talk about. I know what I saw there. From a defensive standpoint, it was It's not good enough and now we've had three games in a row where we figured out how to win games and then (the last) three games we couldn't put it together and commit to that side of the floor that we've given. paid the price.”

Spoelstra's sentiments were similar to those he expressed during Friday's pregame media session, when he said the Heat would approach the game as much as possible as usual.

"We work in a complicated league," Spoelstra said before the game. "We are in an unusual place right now, but realistically everything is complex and we fully plan to operate within that complexity. My job is to get this team ready and ready to compete at a high level , that's what I'm doing is the plan.

"My approach is really none of your business. You're all looking for drama, I'm looking to get this team ready to compete at a high level. As for silly questions like 'What's the temperature?'" Room? or 'How's everyone feeling?' 'That sounds too dramatic. We are professionals, we are good, we are ready for tonight's game and that's the only thing that matters. We look forward to getting back into the woods. We've been on the road for a while and we're done, so we're looking forward to getting news on that. "

But until Butler is traded or the trade deadline passes, the questions will continue. When Butler was asked if the situation could be fixed or if he was feeling the same as he did after the Pacers game on Jan. 2 - he said he wanted to find his "happy" again, but he didn't. Think so. That could happen in Miami -- he issued "no comment" both times.

When Butler was asked what would have happened if he was still on the team on February 7, he smiled.

"We're playing a lot of 'what ifs,' aren't we?" Butler said.

Then he added: "I'm going to play basketball."

Sources say the Heat are hoping to find a deal that satisfies Butler's wishes. However, doing so would require the Heat to make a trade to bring back some combination of players, draft capital, liquid short-term salary and young talent that could help the Heat win.

However, so far, that deal has not materialized, and it's difficult to say whether it will come to fruition before the deadline.

Butler made it clear after Friday's game that he had no issues with his teammates.

"It feels good to go out there and compete with these guys and really run around," Butler said. "As everyone probably thinks, I don't have a problem with these guys. These guys are cool. They're my friends. ... I don’t like them and never will. But it does feel good to go out and play basketball.”