Miami Heat Suspends Jimmy Butler For 7 Games And Will Seek To Trade Him

There are parallels to what’s happening in Miami now and the end of Butler’s time in Minnesota.

Butler left a mark in Miami over his 5 1/2 seasons — eighth in team history in points, eighth in assists, eighth in steals, all of that in just 313 appearances. And in the playoffs, he was exceptional: There have been 18 games of 40 or more points in team postseason history and Butler is responsible for eight of them, including a record 56-point night against Milwaukee in the 2023 playoffs.

It didn’t happen.

Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler was Miami’s best player for five years, the leader of a team that went to the NBA Finals twice in his tenure. He talked big and, at times, played bigger. He spoke with reverence for the city, for the franchise, for the famed “Heat Culture.”

“What do I want to see happen? I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball, wherever that may be — we’ll find out here pretty soon,” Butler said after Thursday’s game. “I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I’m not doing that.”

The team saying it’s open to moving the six-time All-Star is a sharp turnaround from a week ago, when Heat President Pat Riley said that the team would not trade Butler.

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He was then asked if he can find that joy in Miami. “Probably not,” Butler said, and with that, his postgame news conference ended.

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“Who moves the needle the most on our team is Jimmy,” Riley said in May, after last season ended. “Jimmy moves the needle the most. He’s an incredible player.”

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He also missed a lot of games, seemed unhappy at times and then didn’t get a $113 million extension that he was eligible for last summer.

The 35-year-old Butler became eligible last summer for an extension. The Heat did not offer one, and Riley expressed reservations about how giving such a deal to any player who misses a big number of games.

“Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers,” the Heat said.

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“I guess I’ve got to go and hoop. … I’ve got to prove that I am a major part of winning and rightfully so. I’ve done it before. This is no different,” Butler said then.

One day after Butler said that he doesn’t think he can find on-court joy in Miami going forward, the Heat suspended him for seven games and said they will listen to trade offers — a clear sign that they do not expect him to wear their uniform again.

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The Heat lost to Indiana 128-115 on Thursday night, with Butler scoring exactly nine points and sitting out the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. It also happened Wednesday in a win over New Orleans.

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