Justise Winslow could finally return against Rockets. Here’s what Heat expects from him.

Justise Winslow finally returned to practice for the Miami Heat on Tuesday after missing nearly three weeks with a concussion, and he could be back in live action as soon as Wednesday.

The point forward, who has not played since a headfirst collision against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 7, is listed as probable for the Heat’s game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at the Toyota Center after practicing for the first time since sustaining the injury in Denver.

“It was a good day for him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after practice wrapped up at AmericanAirlines Arena. “We shouldn’t expect him to be in perfect rhythm, but it’s just great to have him back out there and he was able to go through quite a bit of work today, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

While Spoelstra wouldn’t commit to an immediate return to the starting lineup for Winslow, the Heat (12-4) could use his help Wednesday in Houston. Jimmy Butler didn’t practice Tuesday in Miami, and his status the game against the Rockets (11-6) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday is in doubt as he battles the illness going around the team. The Heat said the star wing’s status would be determined later Tuesday.

Spoelstra does know, however, he will have Winslow on some sort of a minutes restriction. The forward only started to ramp up his work in the past week or so, the coach said. Winslow will still have some catching up to do with his conditioning.

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Spoelstra said. “I’ll just see if he’s available tomorrow and we’ll go from there. He’s certainly not going to be able to play big minutes.”

Although Winslow has started all five games he has played this season and Butler has started all 13, Miami’s two most ball dominant guards have actually only played in two games together and shared the court for a total of just 26 minutes.

In the rare instances this year the Heat has had a full-strength starting lineup available, Butler and Winslow have started on the wings with point guard Kendrick Nunn complementing them in the backcourt, and post players Bam Adebayo and Meyers Leonard rounding out the lineup. Nunn, Butler and Winslow could all take turns as the primary ballhandlers, and Winslow’s absence has led to an expanded playmaking role for Nunn and a chance for swingman Duncan Robinson to join the starting lineup.

If Butler is unavailable in Texas, Spoelstra will have a little bit easier of a decision to make with his starting lineup: Winslow could simply take over for Butler on the wing. Once Miami returns to full strength, though, Spoelstra will have to make a more difficult decision. One of Winslow, Nunn or Robinson will have to come off the bench, and any decision would have distinct pros and cons.

Send Robinson to the bench and the Heat will have to trust Nunn in an off-ball shooter role with Winslow and Butler dominating the ball. Send Nunn to the bench and Winslow can simply take over as the true starting point guard, although Miami would lose Nunn’s reliable three-point stroke. Keep Winslow on the bench and the Heat is leaving one of its most talented players on the bench for the sake of continuity and, perhaps, cohesiveness.

It’s a challenge Spoelstra is looking forward to solving. He knows the pathway to Miami’s highest ceiling is figuring out how Winslow and Butler can coexist.

“The best versions of themselves also can complement each other, but the more guys you can have playing competitive winning basketball, the better,” Spoelstra said. “This league is tough, and we’re not talking about just being an average team, so you need talent, you need toughness, you need guys playing together and chemistry and getting your team to play to its strengths is a process for every team. I’d rather do that with talent and have your talent available than not.”

The Heat’s two greatest strengths this season have been its passing and its shooting. Miami entered Tuesday with the best field-goal percentage in the league, the third best three-point percentage and the second-most assists per field goal made. Committing to Winslow as a starter would mean committing to the passing part of its identity.

A starting lineup with Nunn, Winslow, Butler and Adebayo would mean four starters averaging at least three assists per game and three averaging at least four. Butler and Winslow, however, are both shooting worse than 26 percent from three-point range — on a roster which includes five players shooting at least 38 percent.

“That’s just stacking more assists for us and it’s making us a better team,” Adebayo said. “That’s what he’s good at.”

No matter what lineup the Heat settles on, Miami still hasn’t gotten a real glimpse at what it’s best rotation will be at the end of the year.

In some capacity, it will include Winslow, Butler, Nunn and Robinson. Sooner rather than later, the Heat will get to start to figure it out.

“Ready to just go out there with a full team, see what we’re capable of and just continue to get better,” rookie wing Tyler Herro said. “I think we’ll be able to see how far and how good we can be eventually.”