The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler saga ended with a massive trade that sent the disgruntled star to the Golden State Warriors in a five-team deal that saw the Heat land Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson. The trade signaled an end to a months-long standoff between Butler and Heat ownership, which began as far back as last year’s playoffs after some edgy comments from Butler about beating the Celtics if he was healthy stirred up Heat president Pat Riley.
Jimmy Butler and Heat president Pat Riley had a meeting that didn’t go well
Despite the difference the two sides had, it seems as though the Heat tried everything in their power to convince Butler to stay and be a part of a contender in Miami. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Butler and Riley had a sit-down meeting that involved pure and raw emotion from Riley, which ultimately pushed Butler further away from the Heat and was a sign of a dismantled relationship between the two.
“From Butler’s vantage point, Riley was “unhinged and disturbing,” as a league source close to him described it. More specifically, Butler told those close to him that the longtime team president referenced Butler’s recently deceased father several times during the meeting, offered “unsolicited and unwanted” parenting advice and even shed tears before ending the meeting by telling Butler he loved him,” Amick wrote.
Butler’s father passed away during last season, and it is clear that he took Riley centering the conversation around that tragic event as insensitive. Riley also lost his father at a young age, and evidently, his attempts to resonate with a broken and unhappy Butler on a personal level were unsuccessful. Riley has been the team president since 1995, and Butler’s situation was certainly one of the most turbulent he has ever been apart of during his time with the organization.
Butler’s long feud with the Heat comes to a tumultuous end
Butler had been wanting to receive a long-term contract extension from Miami for quite some time, but never got one. Prior to the trade to the Warriors, which was subsequently followed by a two-year, $112 million extension, Butler was set to become a free agent following this season, and he had made it clear prior to this season that he did not plan on signing an extension with Miami.
The Heat, who made two NBA Finals appearances and an additional conference finals appearance during Butler’s tenure, felt that he was no longer a piece they could commit to long-term, instead focusing their efforts around younger assets like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
The unwillingness to offer Butler an extension is what ruffled some feathers in his camp, which then led to the rumor mill swirling about his future. Following the initial reports of Butler’s impending trade request on the Christmas Day holiday, the team had put out a statement made by Riley the next day saying that they were not going to trade Butler.
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Riley and Butler’s relationship was damaged beyond repair
Things went South very quickly, as Riley and Butler’s relationship continued to deteriorate. Suddenly, Butler, who was a beloved figure in Miami and was the guy who embodied Heat Culture like very few that put on the uniform, was faced with numerous suspensions in the span of one month, which started after he publicly expressed his displeasure with the organization in the media and was seen giving noticeably less effort in games.
Furthermore, he walked out of practice in late January after being informed by head coach Erik Spolestra that he would no longer be starting for the Heat. After that, the Heat indefinitely suspended Butler, which was the last time Butler was around the team. After weeks of trying to find a trade partner for Butler’s services, they finally secured one with the Warriors, officially ending the tumultuous Butler era in Miami.
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Butler leaves behind a legacy in Miami. Along with the two finals appearances, Butler had established himself as a big-time performer who was never scared of the moment, and seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight. It seemed like he was destined to finish out his career with the Heat and possibly bring a title back to the city, but a broken relationship between he and Riley was beyond repair.
