The Heat‘s game on Wednesday vs. the Lakers will be the seventh of Jimmy Butler‘s suspension, making him eligible to rejoin the team in advance of Friday’s contest against Denver. With Miami still apparently not close to finding a suitable trade involving Butler, it’s unclear what the next step in the standoff between the team and its star forward will look like.
Reporting earlier this week indicated that the Heat expect Butler to resume playing in games at the end of his suspension, and Sam Amick of The Athletic hears from a source close to Butler that the 35-year-old intends to report for duty. But given the strained relationship between the two sides, it would almost be surprising if Butler simply returns to action on Friday without incident.
The last time Butler returned from a multi-game absence amid trade rumors was on January 1, when he played vs. New Orleans after missing five games due to a minor ankle injury and an illness. He didn’t look fully engaged in that outing, frequently standing in the corner on offense without the ball in his hands.
NBA insider Chris Haynes stated during an appearance on the Le Batard Show on Tuesday (YouTube link) that the Heat openly questioned Butler’s effort after that game, which didn’t sit well with the six-time All-Star, who told reporters unprompted in his media session the following night that he always plays hard.
Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the implication from team officials that Butler wasn’t playing his hardest was one reason why he requested a trade on Jan. 2. According to Haynes, Butler’s camp also privately pushed back against the team’s suggestion that his effort was lacking, using speed and acceleration data from Second Spectrum.
As has been widely reported, Butler’s initial unhappiness with the Heat stemmed from their unwillingness to offer him the maximum-salary contract extension he was seeking over the offseason. However, another source of frustration for Butler has been his role in the team’s new-look offense, according to both Haynes and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Appearing on the Le Batard Show, Haynes noted that Miami tweaked its offensive system prior to this season in an effort to reduce its mid-range looks and increase its three-point attempts, which doesn’t cater to Butler’s skill set. As Haynes observes, Butler’s usage rate this season has dipped to 21.2%, his lowest mark since his third season in Chicago in 2013/14.
According to Chiang, Butler’s camp inquired about the adjustments to Erik Spoelstra‘s system and was told that Miami made changes in part because the forward’s inconsistent regular season availability made it difficult to build the offense around him. Conversely, Chiang writes, some people with the Heat may contend that Butler has made his role look smaller than it actually is by “making it a point in some games to run to the corner and play without the ball in his hands.”
Here’s more on Butler:
- According to Chiang, Butler’s meeting with Heat owner Micky Arison is tentatively expected to take place on Thursday, so there could be more clarity on next steps after that session.
- Haynes provided several more interesting tidbits during his appearance on the Le Batard Show (YouTube link), revealing that Butler and Riley didn’t communicate for several months between the offseason and January 1; Haynes also shared a story about how Butler was irked by an accounting error last spring that resulted in him not being paid until the issue was resolved 10 days later (hat tips to HoopsHype).
- According to Haynes, Butler’s camp wasn’t happy about leaks suggesting that he has repeatedly taken private flights instead of taking the team charter. Haynes hears that those flights only happened a handful of times, primarily during the 2023 NBA Finals when Butler’s father was ill.
- While it’s unclear if the Bucks have legitimate trade interest in Butler, two league sources insist to Amick of The Athletic that Milwaukee hasn’t been told by the forward’s camp that he doesn’t want to play there. Multiple reports previously indicated that the Bucks had been advised not to pursue Butler, but it sounds like Memphis is the only team known to have received that message.
- Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the standoff between Butler and the Heat, team captain Bam Adebayo said his approach is to focus on winning games and letting the front office work out that issue. “You understand that it’s business at the end of the day, and I’ll leave it at that,” Adebayo said. “J.B. is one of my guys. So, for me, we give him space and we let him and management handle it, get involved in that. We worry about getting these wins because at the end of the day, whatever happens with him and the management, somebody still got to play these games.” According to Spears, teammate Tyler Herro praised Adebayo for showing “a lot of leadership” during a challenging time for the club.
After a month of this stuff, I’ve come to realize I don’t see how it works out in Jimmy Butler’s favor? He doesn’t want to play for the heat, but there’s no other way he can get paid.
Miami doesn’t want the big money contracts other teams must include in the deal to make it work and Jimmy and his agents must know that no one can give him $52 million next year if he opts out of this current contract.
I’m sure they’ll figure something out but wow, I don’t see how it can happen to satisfy Jimmy’s need to get paid, AND get out of Miami.
That’s what makes his behavior had to predict; there’s no straightforward logic to it. Will he finally act rationally? Continue to be petty? Go nuclear?
In a weird way, I liken it to the media’s handling of Trump (not to make this political, I swear lol). They kept trying to view him through a traditional lens and, thus, failed to be able to predict his actions time and time again. To the rest of us, they were hardly a shock.
We just don’t know which way Jimmy will go now that the Heat have punched back. But the picture should become pretty clear within the next few days.
Jimmy is going to pick up the option at this point. It’ll be up to Miami to try and get off of that deal in the offseason. Then he’ll see who has cap space in 2026. If nobody does then it’ll be a sign and trade in that offseason to someone desperate. Probably wont be a max but at least a couple years at 30+.
All Jimmy has to do is sit and wait. Miami holds 0 cards because of how they’ve handled this.
I don’t care either way, but if I were him, I would apologize and say I realize you were going to pay me anyway, and we won that game, so I know there was a miscommunication in my feeling it was insinuated I wasn’t trying when I was a positive +/-…let’s just sign the new deal, and realize sometimes families fight, which is what we’re built on, and move forward the way the Heat always eventually come back to….
Because that’s his best bet to get fully paid the way he would have…
If not I don’t care if he walks for nothing
@Gary – I agree, but MIA still has the bigger problem. I don’t see how they can permit him to rejoin the team, at least with his current stand on his actions, but that appears to be the path they’ll try to navigate. Maybe as a prelude to building a case under the CBA that it doesn’t have to pay JB his full salary for the balance of the year. Strong as the case may be (unclear), and as much appeal as it might have around the league with FO’s and fanbases, Silver and his arbitrators will turn it into a clown show, and that MIA can’t win.
The real victim in all of this are the children on the street of Miami. He was there hero and a role model and now he is setting an awful example. Little children looked up to him. Now who can they look up to? Tyler hero? Lol
If your kid looks up to Jimmy Butler then you failed as a parent.
The issue was Jimmy claimed he was sick, and instead of being in Orlando with the team, he was at prime 112 hanging out with people and drinking and eating, which Riley would know immediately
The new Orleans game rhetoric is probably gaslighting from Jimmy, b/c we won that game, he played well, had a positive plus/minus, and nobody in the Heat organization cares about points per game, and he knows that, but knows that people use scoring total to determine effort, so it would be plausible to believe the Heat questioned his from that game…when in reality, they’re questioning the game before that, on the road, where he didn’t show up
Everything is pr now… also these writers that question the offense are really, really ignorant to how basketball works, all of them…none of them know how this team works at all, how any team wins…
Holding made the most sense for everyone, including Jimmy, who would have been paid eventually…I see no trade scenario that makes sense for multiple reasons
If Memphis wants to send over Jaren Jackson jr, Marcus Smart, GG Jackson, 2028 1st and 2030 1st, go ahead lol…you’re not doing that either, and where does that leave you anyway?
Financially, it would be impossible to do with Moody or without Schroder, which is annoying, but how would you feel about Draymond Green, Gary Payton, Schroder, Gui Santos, and 2025 1st, 2027 1st, 2026 Atlanta 2nd, and possibly another 2nd in there, b/c of certain factors…I tried to do something with moody or possibly Burks going back to GS too, but it’s just barely short financially…
Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, Jett Howard, Corey Joseph, and picks for Butler…
Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, Aaron Nesmith, James Johnson, Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman, TJ McConnell, 2025 Heat 2nd, 2028 Indiana 1st, 2030 1st for Jimmy…Heat dump Jackson, Wiseman, and Johnson or McConnell
Hardaway jr, Ausar Thompson, Wendell Moore, Marcus Sasser, Jaden Ivey 2027 1st, 2029 1st, 2028 Charlotte or Clippers 2nd for Jimmy Butler and Alec Burks…Heat dump Ivey and hardaway/sasser
I can’t really think of many other 2 team options, and those already are…I don’t know maybe New Orleans or Toronto could make some sense…
The Heat are arguably better off letting him leave for nothing than making another terrible trade, on top of the Rozier deal from last year
I don’t disagree, but what happens between now and then? Do you bring back Jimmy and let him dog it if he chooses to? Suspend him again and risk the ire of the NBPA? Just send him home? The last thing the team wants is for him to become a locker room problem if the effort level and missed games continue to be commonplace.
This all goes away if Jimmy comes back and gives even 80% effort. But if that doesn’t happen…
Like I said, I don’t care either way, but if I’m him, I’m playing, and eventually trying to get them to give them the deal they would have if he didn’t complain
…the thing is, I don’t even know what those teams i mentioned situations are against the hard cap, so I don’t even know if they’d be able to sign the players they’d need to fill out their roster to even make those deals…and in all of them, the Heat are basically just cutting multiple people
The Heat culture is who Jimmy is. He was a late 1st rd pick. And he’s been proving himself since. A guy who worked his way to the best 2Way player in the game.Hes who you want all your players to be like, right. As much as I love Jimmy. He’s had issues everywhere he’s been. I knew about Minny and Philly. And frankly I could see his point there. Didn’t know know much about Chicago. So I read up on it. Seems Jimmy has always pushed back when he didn’t get his way. Even if he was all about guys not doing the work for the team. Point is it usually swells to the point of no return. This time with Heat it seems to be about another contract. Not going to get into details. You can look it up. He has a guarantee of 52 million next yr. I’d say the Heat have taken care of him. And if they promised him another big contract. I’d say they have the right to lower that offer. Right now I don’t see how he can come back. This situation is a team killer.
So who will take this on ?? Heat can’t ask for much. And who ever takes him. Better reach Finals this yr or next yr. And if you don’t give him a new deal. Is he going to tear your team down next yr. I like Jimmy. But he’s doing this wrong …..
Gary, I agree, this is not going to end well for Butler. No team is willing to meet his current asking price.
if I’m the Heat, I send Butler home now on paid leave. His presence can only hurt the team, especially for the next 3 weeks while trade rumors swirl.
Plus, downtime preempts injury that would otherwise reduce, maybe destroy, his trade value.
In the likely event that Butler is still in Miami in June, it’ll be a lot easier to trade him with the blocking issue of the $52M player option on the table for all parties to address. If Butler decides to walk, he’s looking at a 3 year $37M/yr deal.
I hope next cba they put in a release clause that makes a player ineligible for upcoming playoffs in case a dispute like this comes up.
If I am the Heat i would take a bunch of expiring contracts for him not matter what. Even ben Simmons is he was offered. The worst thing for the heat is if he opts in next year for $52 million. At this point the Heat will not get any good offers for him. They may have a expiring contract offer on the table which they will take on trade deadline.
You already said he wouldn’t be traded.
Remember?
Did you see where i said if I was the Heat? Heat been saying they wanted something in return not give him away. So i am saying if I was in their shoes. Do you understand now??? You are the guy that said they will get draft picks back.
Jimmy is 35 yrs old. He will be 36 in September. He is guaranteed 52 million next yr next yr his last.
Why would anyone trade for him now. Ask yourself that. Only if a team wanted to dump a contract on Heat. Like Suns with Beal. And then why would Heat do that. Heat are probably only team who should give him another contract. But that ain’t happening now.
Since Jimmy has signed with Heat in 2019-20. He’s played 58 gms, 52 gms, 57 gms, 64 gms, 60 gms, and 22 this yr. At 36 yrs old for his next contract. How much can Heat really offer him. How much can any team really offer him. He’s not a max player. Even he has to see that. So who will take a chance on that. IMO he’d have to agree on a new contract next yr. And not for more than 35 mill per. Don’t see many options out there for Heat or Jimmy. I’d say Heat and Jimmy will have to lower their expectations. If they want to part this yr or next. Otherwise it’s put your egos aside. Make a run at East. And then be in a better position to get something done next yr.