Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler is doing everything he can to get traded away from the franchise before the February 6 deadline. He’s currently serving a seven-game suspension, and many expect him to be traded before the suspension expires this week. However, it seems nothing will change Butler’s mind, who has clarified that he wants a change of scenario.
The Athletic is reporting that the root cause behind Butler wanting to switch teams is essentially the complete failure by the Heat to surround Butler with co-stars while rival franchises like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics did so for their franchise superstars.
“A source close to Butler said he has been at odds with the front office over making necessary moves to deliver the Heat their first NBA championship since 2013… Frustrations over other contenders being more aggressive — the defending Boston Celtics acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard — have left Butler disappointed with the Heat seemingly not being as ambitious the source said.”
The failure to land a real star and expecting Butler to be happy with veteran minimum signings was baffling to the 35-year-old star.
“Last year seemed to mark a crucial pivot point, as Miami brought in Thomas Bryant and Josh Richardson to bolster its roster, which left Butler feeling he had to ‘do the impossible again,’ the source said.”
This is a completely fair criticism of the Heat, who have done virtually nothing to bolster their roster in the last few seasons. Outside moves like drafting players like Jaime Jaquez Jr, there’s not been a single major addition to the franchise in the last five years outside the trade acquisition of Terry Rozier last season.
Butler proved his worth as a championship-caliber star by leading the Heat to two NBA Finals in four years. However, the Heat were heavily outmatched in both Finals appearances and did nothing to improve the roster in the summer afterward.
Reports from the time do indicate the Heat were pursuing stars like Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Damian Lillard over all of their recent team changes. However, the Heat were consistently the bridesmaid but never the bride, as all teams used Miami’s interest to get bigger offers from other teams.
Jimmy Butler Has Told Pat Riley He Wants To Leave
Not that it was any surprise to the Heat organization, but Butler has made his desire to leave the franchise as clear as possible.
Amidst reports that his relationship with Pat Riley has completely broken down, it was also said that Butler and Riley spoke about their current situation earlier this month where Butler made his desire to leave abundantly clear.
“Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler reiterated to team president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting last week that he wants to be traded… Butler told Riley that he will not sign a new deal in Miami and that he intends to use his $52 million player option for 2025-26 in the offseason only as a trade maneuver, sources said.”
The Heat are reportedly sitting on multiple offers for Butler, but none of them are good enough to accept just yet. Outside the Phoenix Suns, it doesn’t seem like teams are fighting over Butler’s services as this weird trade request continues to play out.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
