Jimmy Butler‘s standoff with the Heat is the NBA’s hottest story and has overshadowed everything else going on with the team, but Butler’s teammates will have to take the court without him beginning on Saturday vs. Utah as he begins serving his seven-game suspension. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, Bam Adebayo spoke to reporters at today’s shootaround about the awkward spot he and his teammates find themselves in.
“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head to head like that,” Adebayo said. “But the rest of us got to figure out how to win games. So for me as captain, it’s worrying about the other guys and getting them locked in and ready to go to try to compete and win a game.”
Butler has been one of the Heat’s leaders since joining the team in 2019, but his days in Miami appear numbered. He won’t play in the next seven games and may have suited up for Miami for the last time. That means the rest of the roster has to prepare to move forward without him while leaning on its other veterans for stability.
“Obviously, we still have a great opportunity, a good basketball team. So we don’t want to get caught up in all the news that’s been going around,” Terry Rozier said. “But we have a great locker room. We got guys like (Kevin Love), a vet who’s always keeping guys on their toes and making guys laugh. We got a lot of great guys in there. So we move on and we’ll find out what’s best.
“It’s tough because that’s one of your locker room guys, that’s one of your teammates,” Rozier added. “So it sucks to see that he won’t be around. But our main focus is to try to win games and control what we can control. Obviously, that’s out of our control with the guys in the locker room. But we got a lot of love for him and we wish him the best. We’re just trying to win games now.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Team president Pat Riley may want to reconsider his trademark candor in the wake of the Butler situation, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. After the Heat were eliminated from the playoffs, Riley reacted to Butler’s claim that they could have beaten the Celtics and Knicks if he hadn’t been injured by saying it’s best to “keep your mouth shut” if you’re not able to play. Riley has become known for direct statements during his long NBA career, but Winderman says that trait may have become counterproductive in player relations.
- The Heat have given Butler special treatment for years, but now they’re calling his behavior “conduct detrimental” after he became unhappy about not receiving an extension, Winderman adds in a subscriber-only story.
- Excessive pride from Butler and Riley has led to the current situation, but a change is also necessary because the current Heat roster isn’t good enough to compete for a title, argues Greg Cote of The Miami Herald.
- Although Butler suggested during his comments to the media on Thursday that his role and his lack of “joy” playing basketball were the reasons for his dissatisfaction, it all comes down to money, contends Chris Mannix of SI.com. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link), Butler – who was upset about not being offered a maximum-salary extension by the Heat during the offseason – wouldn’t want to sign that extension if it were offered now. That’s a moot point, since Miami certainly doesn’t intend to put it on the table at this point, but it’s a reflection of how much the relationship has deteriorated.
- Exploring possible trade scenarios involving Butler, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald states (via Twitter) that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who would need to be included in any deal with Denver, was flagged by the Heat “long ago” for medical reasons. Porter, who had back problems earlier in his career, has been healthier in recent years, and Jackson notes that his talent would be “enticing,” though Miami’s appetite for taking on multiyear salary is unclear.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Houston is the only team that makes sense to me that can make a good package for jimmy. This is the time for Houston to strike with all their young guys still on rookie contracts. Dillion brooks, Steven adams and picks make sense for miami or do you do fred van fleet and less picks for butler. It’s hard to trade high salary players under this new CBA/ tax apron
Id rather just keep Dillon. He’s perfect for them & costs half as much as Jimmy
As a Heat fan, I’d love a deal between the Heat and Rockets. It’s our best chance to get some assets or at least make a deal that secures us away from the cap challenge that is Jimmy’s contract.
With that said, I’ll miss Jimmy, but the facts are that, due to age, he is not on the same timetable as Bam and Herro. And the window for us trying to win with Jimmy was nearing the end no matter what because of his age, while the window to do something using Bam and Herro is a lot longer.
I think Middleton is the best move. The Bucks need more D.
Why would the Heat want Middleton?
Because of… link to m.youtube.com
I repeat. Why would the Heat want Middleton. He’s 33 and not on the incline because guys on the wrong side of 30 don’t get better. The Heat issue with Jimmy has been due to them not wanting to pay a player his age the money he wants, and because he’s not on the same timetable as Bam and Herro. Why would the Heat then exchange Jimmy for another guy on the wrong side of 30, who also does not fit the timetable with Bam and Herro? And with Middleton being a lesser player than Jimmy as well.
Again, why would the Heat want Middleton?
He don’t have to get better he’s already a HOF level guy. Miami was already paying Jimmy , even tho he wasn’t on the same “timetable” as those other guys. They won the East even tho they’re not on the same timetable. Talk of timetables is weird to me. Was Kareem & Magic on the same timetable? Was KG/Rondo, Duncan/Kawhi, Shaq/Kobe, FVV/Sengun on the same timetable? They trade out a disgruntled Jimmy for a fresh start with Middleton plus whatever picks and other assets they can get out of Milwaukee, not a bad idea to me. Keeps them competitive this season which is definitely a high priority. Obv id rather the Memphis package that I posted below but I mean Khris Middleton is a HOF level guy & if they can get AJ Johnson plus a future unprotected pick Milwaukee could prob present a package that rivals or exceeds it.
Makes more sense to just keep Jimmy, drama and all, then it is to trade him for Middleton. Middleton does not work. sounds like a Bucks fan pipe dream.
They wouldn’t. But they have to make a trade and no one’s rushing in to offer more.
They cant because of the second apron, trust me I have tried
If you knew you weren’t gonna resign him then why not trade him last year??? I get that Riley is old school but one thing about vets is they are stuck in their ways and don’t adapt. Nuggets,bucks or grizz make sense.
I felt that the Heat should’ve traded him this past offseason. He showed signs last year (beyond his father passing) that Jimmy had declined and started to show his age. To me, it was time to trade him, then see what we could do with Bam and Herro, then look for the next centerpiece player to combine with them.
Pat old schooled himself into a bad move this time. unless this is some master plan of his that ends up getting him a piece he wanted, that we all haven’t figured out yet. Pat has surprised everyone before. But that was a younger Pat.
Correct, Celtics GM Red Auerbach always traded older players a year earlier, than waiting a year to late. Celtics traded an Old Kevin Garnet and Paul Pierce to Nets which gave Danny Ainge the draft capital to start the new Celtics resurgence….. Also, Jimmy’s game is all physical, driving down the lane getting to the foul line 8 to 10 times a game when he’s engaged. Always getting hurt, ok when younger , but not sustainable as a 35 year old…. The Heat are Bam’s and Tyler’s team now. TIME for PAT to transition to younger day to day management… Pat will be in the background, he fumbled this situation, Jimmy should have been traded this past off season…
This is more of a Nets fault rather than the Celtics being good.
Marcus Smart, Brandon Clarke, Jake LaRavia & Mem’s 2025 & 2027 unprotected 1sts to Miami for Jimmy seems like a good haul for the Heat.
Smart should help give them a lot of what Jimmy gave them as a leader & defender come playoff time. LaRavia just seems like a Heat type guy even tho they do alr have similar guys in Jovic & Jaquez. Clarke is prob the most important guy as far as the present-near future. He’s another guy that sorta fits what a Heat player usually seems like. Miami has Smart & Clarke on the books next yr as well but adding those guys gives them a deeper team around Bam/Herro & does it with guys that should fit well in their system.
I heard about a trade rumor similar to this. Would Memphis really risk that 2027 pick being unprotected? Considering Jimmy’s age, if I’m Memphis, I’d be a little weary of what could go wrong by then. As a Heat fan, I’d love that 2027 being unprotected because Bam will be in the midst of his prime, Herro would be entering his prime, they’d very likely add anotehr major piece with the cap space that will be freed from Jimmy, and if Memphis takes a step back that allows that 2027 pick to move up signficantly, the Heat could sit very pretty at that point.
They’re not giving up anything major outside of the 27 1st. The other pick should be late 20s & all 3 players are role players so I wouldn’t mind giving up that 27 pick to go get a proven difference maker for a city that has literally never won anything like Memphis. Ja, Jaren & Bane should all still be all-star level guys in 2027 so I wouldn’t worry about the bottom falling out. For Miami that would def be something to root for when the time comes tho
JIMMY BUTLER TRADE REQUEST—- BACK IN THE DAY—- Dennis Rodman when he was with the Spurs playing with the Admiral David Robinson had all those crazy hair colors… media asked Spurs coach John Lucas which hair color did he prefer for Dennis? .. his reply was blondes because we won more games as Dennis as a blonde. HEY JIMMY, you were never a blonde? BLONDS HAVE MORE FUN , MORE JOY, MORE WINS… that’s the problem…. Seriously, the Heat have to execute an immediate serviceable trade that will be a double/ great if it’s a triple, but a homerun may not be obtainable in Heat player return in trade.,Main thing is to make sure Butler is gone and can’t exercise an opt in for next year , the way way Harden opted in on his Philly option Year, then wanted to immediately be traded… that was a mess…. Heat GM should Call NEW ORLEANS, GM David Griffin, will get a 3/4 team trade to get Ingram or Williamson to Heat. Heat trainers will get ZION in game shape or he won’t be in FL… HEY, GET YOUR POPCORN, let’s see how this will play out….
Maybe Bam should start rallying himself as he has been playing horrible all season long, right?
MPJ/Nuggets is virtually impossible due to both teams being prohibited from taking in more salary than they send away. There would have to be a third team but neither Denver nor Miami has any sweetener to offer such a team. Forget about it.
Yup
At this point it’s grizz or kings that makes sense to trade for Butler.