In a chat with the media, NBA veteran Jimmy Butler opened up on his standing with the Miami Heat. As he explained in the exclusive interview, he has no desire to leave the Heat franchise and believes that he’s found a permanent place to close out his career.
“I feel at home, man. I really care about the city. I really care about the people in this city,” Butler said via GQ. “Miami has embraced me. They’ve wanted me to bring them something they haven’t done since LeBron, D-Wade, and C-Bosh. And I want to do that. So as soon as I get this knee back right, I’m right back on their a** and everybody knows it.”
Following yet another disappointing playoff run, the Miami Heat are facing a lot of questions about their future and Butler is at the center of them all. The 12-year veteran turns 35 in September and he’s coming his worst statistical season since the 2018-19 campaign when he was traded to the 76ers.
Complete with two Finals runs and a lot of wins in between, Butler’s tenure in Miami has come with prosperity for both sides and it’s been a match made in heaven regarding their approach to the game. But as Butler ages, and the Heat move further and further away from their Finals run in 2023, there is increasing anxiety that they can bring a championship to the city of Miami before it’s all said and done.
After just 60 games played this season, and none in the first round, rumblings indicated that the Heat were tired of Butler’s compromised availability.
Pat Riley himself has come out to deny these rumors and Jimmy Butler’s agent has gone to great lengths to express his client’s unwavering loyalty to his team. But unless Pat Riley makes changes in some way this summer, there is little hope that the Heat can return to the Finals and finish the job for the first time since the departure of LeBron James.
What’s Next For The Heat?
The Heat are always a team that can never be counted out. Even when they’re out of the race, there is always a chance that they respond with a ground-breaking move in the offseason. This summer, while the options are somewhat limited, the Heat are expected to go star-hunting in an attempt to add even more talent alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
One player that has long been coveted by the Heat is star point guard Damian Lillard, who explicitly wanted to be traded there last summer. After his debut season with the Bucks ended in disappointment, there’s a growing movement of people who feel like the Heat should try again to trade for Dame and finally get the point guard they’ve always wanted.
There’s also Joel Embiid. The 76ers were far from impressive in the first round and the Heat have long been considered a premier destination if he were to ever leave the Sixers. In that system, under that culture, Embiid would thrive like we’ve never seen before.
Of course, if the Heat want to go smaller scale, they can also make a run for veteran wing shooter Klay Thompson, who is set to hit free agency this summer with no clear direction on his future.
One way or another, the Heat will find a way to get better and it seems Jimmy Butler expects his squad to do whatever it takes to stay ahead and keep fighting for supremacy in the East.
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