The situation is volatile right now between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. In the aftermath of Butler’s trade request, new information has emerged on his unanswered pleas for more help on the roster.
“For Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler, that relationship was strong initially when Jimmy Butler decided to go there as a free agent in a sign-and-trade,” said Shams on First Take. “Three years, for the last 3 summers Butler has urged the Heat from my understanding to make moves, to elevate the roster and improve the roster. Bring in another star around him and the Heat have not done so… The Celtics went and got Jrue, KP, the Heat didn’t get anyone.”
Butler, 35, was once the heart and soul of the Heat franchise. After he arrived in 2019, the Heat instantly became a formidable force in the East and he led them to two Finals appearances over five years. Jimmy hinted at retiring in Miami and was a champion for their legendary ‘Heat Culture’ with averages of 21.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 49.9% shooting.
Recently, however, things have reached a breaking point between Butler and the Heat and it’s on the verge of splitting them up after six years together. When they lost in the first-round playoffs last season, Pat Riley told him to “keep his mouth shut” after he tried to talk trash and their relationship has never been the same. Now, he’s ready for a trade after a major falling out.
Ultimately, the problem for Butler and the Heat is their lack of playoff success. They have yet to win a title since he joined the team and the Heat have failed at every opportunity to surround their star with top-tier talent.
Over the past few years alone, the Heat have failed to acquire multiple available NBA superstars. Starting with Kevin Durant in 2023, the Heat were on the short list of teams in the running for his services before the Suns put up a monster offer that they were unwilling to beat.
Arguably the biggest sin for the Heat is not making a deal for Damian Lillard. Dame specifically requested to be sent to Miami after 11 years with the Trail Blazers but they somehow still lost the sweepstakes by low-balling their offer to Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
There’s also former Wizards guard Bradley Beal. His shooting would have been a good fit for the Heat and he was available for a short time after agreeing to a trade from the Wizards. Unfortunately, the Heat never made a strong offer and Beal had to settle for the Suns instead.
After missing all of these stars, and more, it is fair to say that the Heat did not maximize their full potential. In the modern NBA, star power is everything and the Heat weren’t willing to make the necessary sacrifice to improve their team and take that last step for Jimmy Butler.
So now that Butler himself has become the scapegoat, he’s ready to try something new in a place where he can focus on himself and play his game without any stress or uncertainty. Most importantly, Butler wants to land in a situation where he can win for a front office dedicated to building the best team possible.
The Heat, 6th in the East, play again tomorrow, January 4th, against the Utah Jazz at 8:00 PM EST at Kaseya Center. On January 6th, at Golden 1 Center, they play the Sacramento Kings at 10:00 PM EST. Finally, on January 7th, the Heat face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center at 10:00 PM EST.
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