Butler has remained on the road with the Heat instead of returning to Miami, leaving open the possibility for a return before the end of the team’s current trip. After Tuesday’s matchup against the Pistons, the Heat closes its six-game trip with back-to-back games against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and Sunday.

For years, an in-season NBA tournament felt like one of those far-out ideas that always seemed cool but would probably never be executed.