Jimmy Butler has seemingly asked to be traded from the Miami Heat. When reporting on this matter, NBA insiders Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst noted that his relationship with Pat Riley was fractured when Riley publicly slammed Butler for his comments during the NBA Finals, telling him to ‘Keep his mouth shut’. Butler wants out of Miami, and it’s partly due to Pat Riley’s comments.
“The Butler-Heat relationship has been tense since last spring when Riley announced the team would not extend Butler’s contract before the 2024-25 season. Butler could have gotten an extension for as much as $113 million over two years.”
“Butler missed the Heat’s first-round playoff series loss to the Boston Celtics last season because of a knee injury he suffered in the team’s play-in tournament victory. After the loss, Butler gave an interview on social media in which he indicated the Heat would’ve won the series had he been healthy.”
“‘If you’re not on the court playing, you should keep your mouth shut,’ Riley said in response at his end-of-season media session.”
“Riley and Butler’s relationship has yet to recover, sources said.”
This is the latest update in a long-winding saga this season. Butler seems ready to bid farewell to Miami. And it looks like, despite the conjecture, that members of the team are planning for their future without him.
Erik Spoelstra benched Butler throughout the fourth quarter during their game against the Pelicans, which he explained after the game was nothing more than to protect Butler’s health and do what’s best for the team. But given the news we have heard in the last 24 hours, one has to imagine there was more to Spoelstra’s decision.
Spoelstra has been public about his desire to see Butler stay. But it remains to be seen whether his wish will come true. As for Pat Riley, he made sure to put out a statement that read that the Heat were not going to be trading Butler. Well, he may have no choice but to eat his words now.
Pat Riley Must Accept Some Blame
Pat Riley is a legend of the game, and a legend in the NBA, having succeeded at all three levels of the sport – playing, coaching, and executive management. But this Jimmy Butler saga does suggest that he isn’t immune to making mistakes. His blasé attitude during the press conference last summer set off a domino effect that has led to this moment.
All this could have still been avoided had the Heat offered Butler the two-year extension he was looking for. In fact, Butler was reported to be very disappointed that the team never offered him an extension of any kind.
Some earlier reports suggested that their relationship had deteriorated greatly. Jimmy Butler was allegedly the only Miami Heat player who didn’t attend Riley’s annual Christmas dinner party.
Should the Miami Heat acquiesce and decide to trade Jimmy Butler, we here at Fadeaway World pitched a three-team trade that would make sure the Heat get another superstar, which you can check out right here.
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