Waiters completes suspension, will still sit out Heat's next two games
Dion Waiters has served his team-issued one-game suspension for "unprofessional conduct" after sitting out the Miami Heat's season-opening win over the Memphis Grizzlies, but his 2019-20 debut will have to wait.
The veteran shooting guard will remain in Miami to work on his conditioning while the team heads out on a two-game road trip, the team announced Thursday, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman.
The Heat play the Bucks in Milwaukee on Saturday, then face the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Sunday before heading back to the sunshine state. Waiters will rejoin the team Monday, possibly making his season debut at home versus the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
Waiters, 27, has averaged 14 points and 3.6 assists while shooting 36.5% from beyond the 3-point arc since joining Miami prior to the 2016-17 season. Injuries have seen him average just 40 games per season in that span.
A delayed start to the season combined with Waiters' checkered health in recent years could jeopardize his earning potential; should the Syracuse product appear in 70 games this season, he will earn a $1.2-million bonus.