The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler‘s relationship has divulged to an ugly place. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne put out a comprehensive report on the current situation. She noted that the front office doesn’t want Butler around the rest of the roster as he might affect team morale, and could become a distraction to the other stars on the team. Two unnamed Heat members are on record saying they don’t want him back.
“While Heat sources say they expect Butler to return Friday against the Nuggets and are fully prepared for him to play, there remains a palpable dread at what he might do and the environment the ongoing chaos might create.”
“I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” one source close to the team said.
“We don’t want him back”, said another.
There are those within the Heat organization who feel as though Jimmy Butler has been given more leeway than any other superstar in the past. But given what he was able to achieve with the franchise, no one ever said anything.
“‘We let Jimmy do more than we ever let LeBron or DWade or Zo do,’ one team source said.”
“Privately, alumni and staffers started to express concern at how much leeway the Heat were giving Butler. But nobody dared speak publicly after he led the team to two Finals appearances in four years.”
The situation with Jimmy Butler in Miami has become untenable. The franchise is reportedly bringing him back tonight to play against the Denver Nuggets. But given the issues and hard feelings off the court, there has to be some concern about what or how Jimmy Butler might act on the court.
Given Jimmy Butler’s history of bad behavior when he is unhappy with his team, such as his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, there have to be some legitimate worries about his actions on the court.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the Miami Heat want to expand Butler’s punishment to something more severe so that they can suspend him for more games and keep him away from the team. But as things stand, all eyes will be on their game against the Nuggets to see how Butler acts.
Butler Wants To Play Behind Durant And Booker
Shelburne also provided some decent insight into what Butler’s mindset is. It is no secret that Butler’s preferred destination is the Phoenix Suns to team up with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. And it appears Butler sees the Heat transitioning to making Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo their two stars going forward, and does not want to play behind them.
“If they’re doing this transition to Bam and Tyler, Jimmy’s like, ‘Fine, do your transition,'” a source close to Butler said. “If [he’s] going to be the second or third wheel, [he’ll] be that in Phoenix to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.”
The report also points out that the deal is incredibly complicated not just due to the Suns’ cap restrictions due to being a second-apron team, but also because Bradley Beal doesn’t want to waive his no-trade clause as he has three children, and doesn’t want to relocate them again, as it disrupts their lives greatly.
“They have virtually no assets to send out in trades, and the only player whose salary matches Butler’s is Beal, who has a no-trade clause and $110.7 million still owed to him.”
“Beal, sources close to him said, has steadfastly maintained he wants to hold on to his no-trade clause, even if he ever approves a trade from Phoenix. He has three young children and values the stability the no-trade clause affords his family, sources said.”
Butler reportedly is pushing the team not just because he wants a trade, but because he wants to see how far he can get by doing so. Acquiescing to Butler’s demands isn’t a good option, as sources say he will not have respect for you if you do not fight back against him.
“He’s always going to see how far he can push you,” a close friend of Butler’s said. “But he wants you to push him back. If you don’t stand up to it, he doesn’t respect you.”
Any trade involving the Suns will need Bradley Beal to be included, just for the numbers to make sense. We created a mock trade that includes Beal going to the Heat, and it might just be the deal that comes to fruition in the end.
Heat Expect Butler To Make Things More Uncomfortable
In the same report, one anonymous Miami Heat source claimed to Shelburne that Jimmy Butler could do more damage and cause more chaos for the Miami Heat organization, citing his time with the Timberwolves in 2018, when he wreaked a lot of havoc before ultimately getting his trade to the 76ers.
“If history — like, say, in Minnesota in 2018 — serves as precedent, the discomfort could deepen, quickly. Jimmy hasn’t even really started,’ said one source close to Butler.”
Shelburne added that a lot of this conflict is due to the stubborn personalities of both Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley. However, she claimed that compared to both of their previous controversial beefs, this situation is relatively tame, and hasn’t played out like others in the past.
“Riley and Butler are both prideful, pugnacious, and competitive as hell. Eventually, personalities like that crash into each other. Butler’s stints in Chicago, Minnesota, and Philadelphia all ended with varying degrees of rancor.”
“Riley has gotten sideways with superstars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Alonzo Mourning at certain points. This current dust-up is, for now, tame compared to what each man has done in the past.”
Butler and the Miami Heat face the Denver Nuggets tonight at the Kaseya Center at 8 PM EST. If Butler is named in the starting lineup, it will be a must-see game, as fans will want to see what exactly Jimmy Butler might do.
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