Erik Spoelstra: Heat 'Focusing on the Task at Hand' Amid 3rd Jimmy Butler Suspension

Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat aren't letting their disgruntled star distract them amid off-court drama.

The Heat are without Jimmy Butler after he was suspended indefinitely on Monday, but Miami's head coach isn't concerned about things that are out of his control.

"I don't really care," Spoelstra said when asked if his team was equipped to handle the latest disruption from the suspension, per The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. "We're just focusing on the task at hand."

The latest ban stems from an incident in Monday's shootaround. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Butler learned the Heat were planning to start Haywood Highsmith over him against the Orlando Magic on Monday, which led to him walking out of practice.

"The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services," Miami said in its statement. "This includes walking out of practice earlier today."

It marks Butler's third suspension since he requested a trade on Jan. 2. The first was a seven-game ban he received on Jan. 3.

"We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks," the team said in a statement. "Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team."

Butler returned from that suspension and played three games, but received another suspension last week for missing Miami's flight to Milwaukee. The suspension was for two games.

In total, Butler has played just three games since first requesting a trade earlier this month.

Spoelstra made it clear after Butler's second suspension that he wouldn't dwell on his star player's absence from the court.

"The point that I made to our team is get used to it," he told reporters last week. "Get over it. This is the NBA life; this is the life we chose. If you think it's going to be predictable, you're really mistaken."

The Heat have little choice but to keep the focus on their season rather than what's going on behind the scenes. Miami is currently sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 22-22 and will look to stay in the playoff hunt without Butler.