This article was written prior to the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.
Six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA winner Jimmy Butler has played for the Miami Heat for over six years now, but it now seems that his time in South Beach has come to an end. In his stint with the Heat, Butler made it to the NBA Finals twice and the conference finals three times, consistently able to hold strong against Eastern Conference competitions. But tensions have reached a breaking point, and Butler received a team suspension that will last “at least five games, without pay” per the Heat. How did the Heat get to this point, and what is next for them and Butler?
The beginning of the drama between Butler and Miami Heat President Pat Riley may have originated last year following their first-round exit to the Boston Celtics.
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home,” Butler said to Riley.
“If you aren’t playing on the court playing […], you should keep your mouth shut,” Riley responded.
Following this exchange, when it came to contract discussions this summer, ESPN insider and sports reporter Shams Charania reported that Butler would not sign an extension with the Heat but rather wait it out and test free agency in 2025. Butler and his agents thought he was deserving of a max contract after leading the Heat, while Riley believed that at 35, it would not be worth it to pay Butler such a large contract.
After temporarily putting contractual differences aside, Butler showed up to this season’s media day ready to play again. Early into December, however, following a few injuries and a disappointing record, Charania reported that the Heat were open to hearing trade proposals. Butler’s agents confronted Charania for false reporting and Riley publicly announced the Heat were not trading Butler.
Despite this announcement, Butler’s usage rate and shots per game have both been down this year, uncommon from a star player. Whether this is to blame on Butler or the Heat’s coaching staff is a hard question, as it is likely a combination of both. Butler even announced that his preference of being traded does not matter.
As tensions continued to rise, and Butler missed several games due to sickness and a minor injury, the player made a disappointing return. At his first game against the New Orleans Pelicans back after his break, Butler took five shots and played so poorly that the Heat accused him of not playing his hardest, which angered him.
After two straight losses, Butler sat out in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s game against the Indiana Pacers, which ended in a blowout loss for Miami. In the press interview after the game, Butler explained how he had lost his joy for playing basketball. Moments later, the news broke that Butler requested a trade and wanted out.
Most recently, during a morning shoot-around, Riley informed Butler that the player would be coming off the bench as long as he remained in Miami. Butler walked out in anger, leading to another suspension, announced on Jan. 27. This suspension brings Butler’s total to three suspensions just in January.
“The Miami Heat are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games,” the Heat stated. “The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”
So where does this leave both parties? Butler is now 35 but believes he can still be a winning player. He has been seen repeatedly repping Phoenix Suns colors in both his hair and shoes, showing his interest in switching teams. Butler may be able to make another run with 36-year-old Kevin Durant and the Sun’s shooting guard duo Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Meanwhile, Miami’s gritty, winning culture — led by All-Stars Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo — will be on the lookout for a guard to strengthen their lineup and help make a deep playoff run.
Beyond the result for these teams and players, this type of politics and behavior has become the new norm for the NBA. Players want compensation for the money they generate for the league, while organizations want to hand-pick players that will strengthen their playoff chances. This agreement, however, becomes difficult when both sides do not see eye to eye.
