Thursday night may not have been the last time you see star forward Jimmy Butler in a Miami Heat jersey, after all.
Days after Butler requested a trade from the organization and was handed a team-sanctioned seven-game suspension for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team,” he will be open to playing with the team again if a trade isn’t found, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald first reported Sunday evening.
Heat insider Ethan Skolnick of the Five Reasons Sports Network later confirmed the report.
“According to a source close to the situation, Butler will be expected to rejoin the Heat and play in games if he’s still on the roster at the end of his team-issued seven-game suspension,” Chiang wrote. “As of now, the Heat is not interested in having Butler remain away from the team while paying him the remainder of his $48.8 million salary for this season after his suspension is over.
“The Heat has had discussions with several teams in recent days regarding a potential Butler trade, according to a league source, but nothing has surfaced enticing enough for Miami to make a deal yet.”
Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension–which will cost him $2.4 million–will last through Jan. 15, the last of the Heat’s six-game West Coast road trip that begins Monday against the Sacramento Kings.
We have already gone through why finding a trade will be difficult over the next month and why the market may not be as friendly to the Heat as they would like it to be.
This doesn’t mean no trade will happen nor does this mean they will stop listening to offers. Though if no trade is found by Jan. 17–Butler’s first game back–it could be a very good opportunity for him to potentially boost his value. It also helps him prove to 29 other organizations that he’s worth betting on–despite having several unfortunate exits with the Heat and past organizations.
Whether that’s actually what happens is an entirely different story. And it would create a very uneasy, tense locker room.
Nevertheless, a lot can happen over the next week-and-a-half. Heck, we are less than 10 days from Pat Riley releasing a statement that Butler wouldn’t be traded … and here.
I’ve grown at least a dozen gray hairs on my head over that span–and I am sure you may have too … except if you’re continuously changing your hair color like Butler is.
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Now Mr Joy anywhere but here says he won’t play for Memphis. Trying to force his way to Phoenix since they are willing to pay him. Oh the irony
Grizzlies and now bucks interested in Jimmy. I don’t like the bucks assets. Grizzlies can probably give us bane and smart, which good enough for me.
I would do that trade in a heartbeat
Yes, definitely better then what suns, and bucks can offer. There are some other packages too, that I just seen on grizzlies reddit like any 2 or 3 of smart,clarke,kennard,konchar, along with 1 – 3 first round picks.
Most of there fans want to keep bane and Clarke, even some suggested adding 2 1st round draft picks just to keep Clark on there team. There hoping for raptors style championship, if Jimmy doesn’t stay with them.
If the Heat can get Bane that is an absolute slam dunk. If it’s Clark, Smart, and draft picks, that would be closer to what I’m expecting. Memphis also seems like one of the few teams where Jimmy would actually fit in
I agree, any of those options would be good enough for me. If Jimmy does end up In Memphis, they could have a lethal lineup of ja, bane, Jimmy, jjj, edey.
yeah, i think it pushes them from playoff team to championship contender. and it sends Jimmy West (which is why you can’t trade him to Milwaukie). I also like the idea of Miami adding Marcus Smart to play defense next to Tyler.
I am also a huge believer in the idea that the Heat need to get this trade done before the suspension is over. Don’t hold out for a superstar, just get someone good let’s all move on with our lives. If you really want a superstar, trade for draft picks and wait.
Exactly, also smart would be a position of need, poa defender, who can guard 1-3, switchable, and 6’9 wingspan. Also I’m hoping for the same, the quicker we can unload butler, the better.
There is one where Detroit takes on Beal, which is why the rumor started that the Suns send him to the bench unit to try and help him waive his no trade clause. It would end up with Tobias Harris on the Heat, which is a sick joke lol
The one with Bucks brings back Portis, along with injured Middleton, but isn’t that bad. You can play Portis next to Bam. It would suck he stays in the East, but between him and Dame, I say one is injured come playoff time. 😉
This is a terrible idea, but it would be pretty hillarious.
Anway, listening to most of the national pods, it sounds like nobody wants to pay a 35-year old malcontent fifty million dollars this year, let alone extend his contract for years to come. it sounds like Jimmy and the Heat might be stuck with each other. And once reality sets in, I bet Jimmy reconsiders opting-out this offseason
Pat make the trade and let the man go.
Jimmy is like that lead worker, who works for a retail store that wants to have the highest performance index of retail service in the area. It pushes for excellence, doggedness and resilience in the face of adversity. Management brags about the culture.The lead worker ask for more experienced workers to help with the volume of sale to meet the target from management. The management employs a handful of very promising green hands and old vets marking up time for retirement. The lead worker does not critize the hire so as not to damp the zeal of his coworkers. He does his own work and also part of that of his coworkers, showing them how things are done and should be done. The physical and mental toll on him makes him take time off on several days. Some years, he is there for 65% of the days. When he laments that the company is not reaching the target, management reminds him that it is because he is there for 65% of the year. The management forgets that when he is present he does not give just 100%, but 150% because he has to do more to cover for his coworkers’ shortcomings and that, perhaps account for his days of abscenses.
Let the man walk Pat. You cannot get much more from a disgruntled worker.
Whenever pat Riley decides to retire, I think the “heat culture” list to replace him is dwade,spo,zo,Simon, battier.
Miami needs someone with a vision of what the team can be in the future and a how to best build a team around Bam, Herro, Ware and the current group of youngsters. Someone who has a demonstrated track record of rebuilding/retooling a team through strategic free agent signings, trades, draft selections and player development. Someone like Sam Presti (OKC), R.C. Buford (San Antonio Spurs), Justin Zanik (Utah Jazz) or Calvin Booth (Atlanta Hawks).
The only gm I’m taking out of the organization is Bob myers.
do u guys want to watch the rest of the gameson tv with or w/o jimmy.sports is entertainment after all.it d be like seeing zeppelin w/o plant/who w/o daltrey aerosmith w/o steven tyler.stones w/o mick. .
I honestly don’t think it’s going to matter much as far as final standings and results. So, I’d rather move on now, watch young players develop, and look forward to see what other moves are made.
ware bam ty jim terry lineup cam compete vs bost ny cleve
You are assuming Butler goes out and gives 100%. I am not. He dogged it last season and started off this season doing the same thing. If he was available and played his best, we wouldn’t be at this point.
Exactly.
Rozier, Bam and Butler are having down years. Ware is still young and raw. Only Herro is playing up to/exceeding expectations. No way they can compete with Boston, New York or Cleveland, at present, much less OKC, Memphis, Denver and a few other teams in the West.
Exactly.
For the past season and a half, this team has been way more fun to watch without Jimmy Butler
Hypothetical. I’m a manager with 10 employees. My best worker on a 1 year contract tells me in front of the others that I stink as a manager and it sucks to work here. i call him a total a-hole and say if you don’t like it here, take a hike. Things have been simmering for a while. Later, we talk and agree he can stay until his contract expires. The other 9 employees will be walking on eggshells just waiting for the next blowup. This is known as a toxic workplace environment. That’s what this will be if he doesn’t find a new home.
In the first game, when he was benched, I saw Butler whistling as if he doesn’t care.
Not very mature behaviour.
I he could hold himselves, saying the right words, rooting for teammates, and then say to Spo and Riley what he wants to say behind scenes, we wouldn’t be where we are.
Toxic workplace environment, with all its elements, grouping, talking behind back, sabotaging, confrontations ect. for sure.
I think they shouldn’t let him to be with the team no matter what.
We just had almost that exact conversation here at home. We agreed that if Butler said in that news conference, i’d like to find solutions that will help the team get better and I will be meeting with Riley and Spo privately to help reach our mutual goals – we, again, wouldn’t be here now.
He posted a screenshot of a Drake song titled “Emotionless,” and it’s funny because it’s Jimmy who seems to be all up in his feelings. Joy my ass
Not only that, but this places undo stress on several of the remaining players who are left wondering if they will be the next one on the chopping block. Anyone not named Ware, Bam or Herro is probably thinking: “If they are willing to do this him, what can they do to me?”
You are right, Butler’s selfish behavior has created a toxic work environment that will only get worse until he is traded/gone. Riley also has to be held accountable for his share of responsibility in this drama.
Maybe it’s time for Miami to move on from both Riley and Butler and bring in generational changes to both the front office and the team?
You can’t do that. Jimmy deserves to be traded. Pat always has an excuse the last four years. Lately, all you hear is how Pat’s players somehow become untradable while trades are made all over the rest of the league. In fairness, the Rozier trade was made, but that is something of a makeup trade for one of Pats biggest mistakes, Lowry, and we gave a number one to Charlotte who know they made out well on that one. Oh, I forgot he did give us Alex Burks. How can anyone not see the man sits there paralyzed, too old to relate, creating vendettas all over the league. A growing chorus of writers, top basketball people like Steven A., blame Pat for not building a solid team around
Jimmy.
Jimmy can’t say the players around him aren’t good enough, but he wants to win and he is saying that in so many words. He gave us so much excitement, carrying a team much farther than anyone could have dreamed. We owe him decent treatment.
Make a trade Pat, get the best deal you can. Don’t make it get even more ugly by forcing him to play on a team that is going nowhere presently constructed.
All relationships can be fixed.This one needs to so i can watch the heat with interest.I just dont want to watch a heat team with no shot almost every night.In the off season deal with it not this season
This team isn’t good enough for Jimmy’s situation, being in his twilight years. Alex Burks didn’t put us over the top.
I have several relations, which cannot be fixed. Most of the people I know, has relations, which cannot be fixed.
I m sure, that both Riley and Butler, the people they are, has a lot of relations, which cannot be fixed.
What a mess that would be.