[ad_1]
Jimmy Butler’s six-season tenure with the Miami Heat appears to be nearing its end. Butler, who led Miami to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, was suspended by the team Friday for “conduct detrimental to the team,” one day after indicating to the Heat that he would like to be traded.
Butler, who arrived at training camp this season with a declaration of “no shenanigans,” had scored just 18 points combined in the past two games after missing the previous five with an illness. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported as early as Dec. 10 that the Heat were listening to offers on Butler, and reported on Dec. 25 that Butler preferred a trade out of Miami.
That escalated to the point that after Thursday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, Butler said that he wanted to find his joy again on the court. When asked if he could do that in Miami, he answered “probably not.”
ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Brian Windhorst look at how the situation between the six-time All-Star and the franchise he’s played for since 2019 got to this point, why a trade might not be as easy as it seems and what Butler could bring to a contender.
Contents
How did Pat Riley go from vowing not to trade Butler to a seven-game suspension with the Heat now listening to trade offers?
Butler’s tactics to force the Heat’s hands and reverse their stance have appeared to work in the short term. The Heat didn’t fully articulate all the aspects of what they felt was his “conduct detrimental” that led to the suspension but Butler clearly wanted to be traded and took measures to get the Heat to come to the same conclusion. His lackluster play the past two games after missing five games with an illness are likely on the list. In the short term, this play by Butler will cost him $2.3 million in salary but he could eventually win some or all of it back through a planned players’ union grievance. — Brian Windhorst
How have Riley and the Heat handled similar situations in the past?
Riley has…
[ad_2]
