Heat star Jimmy Butler is in the middle of a paternity battle with his ex, Kaitlin Nowak, over their three children.

A breakdown of some of the players, teams and trends around the league that are drawing the ire of yours truly. If you're not a fellow pessimist, proceed with caution.  The New Orleans Pelicans are getting awfully close to the "it's time to trade Zion Williamson" line,

Will the trade deadline turn fortunes around? Will mid-market teams continue to rise? Bold predictions for the second half of the NBA season.

After serving a team-issued seven-game suspension earlier this month, the Heat has now suspending Butler for two games without pay after he missed the Heat’s flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon, league sources confirmed to the Miami Herald.

The Miami Heat will attempt to block out the Butler noise and get back to the win column in a nationally televised matchup

The NBA trade deadline is just around the corner. So, which NBA teams have the best trade assets in the league?

The NBA trade deadline is not until Feb. 6, but the buzz around notable players and teams is building up. Keep an eye on players such as Jimmy Butler, Zion Williamson and Zach LaVine, who'll be linked to possible trades. One team to watch is the Phoenix Suns, who have stayed busy in January, making two trades while remaining in the mix for Butler.

The Milwaukee Bucks return home to square off against the Miami Heat after yesterday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans was postponed due to the winter storm affecting the Bayou. They’ll look to have a repeat performance against Miami after defeating them 106-103 down in South Beach in November.

The Golden State Warriors have emerged as a potential suitor for Vučević ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to an ESPN report. The Warriors are engaging in initial trade conversations as the Bulls take calls on offers for both Vučević and Zach LaVine.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been ruled out for Friday night's game at the Memphis Grizzlies. Williamson sat out Monday night's victory over Utah with a non-COVID illness and New Orleans announced on Thursday that he would remain out on Friday “due to return to play reconditioning from illness.”