Gardner (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Wednesday in the Heat's 133-124 loss to the Magic.
The two-way player had quietly moved into the Miami rotation lately, appearing in each of the Heat's previous six games while averaging 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 10.5 minutes per contest. However, with the Heat welcoming Kel'el Ware (hamstring) back from a four-game absence and playing him seven minutes, that was enough for Gardner to lose his spot in the 10-man rotation. Miami will eventually get Davion Mitchell (shoulder) and Tyler Herro (ribs) back in the fold as well, so Gardner's prospects of regaining a regular spot on the second unit wouldn't seem to be promising.