Jimmy Butler wanted more aggressive moves from Heat front office

A source close to Butler said he has been at odds with the front office over making necessary moves to deliver the Heat their first NBA championship since 2013. During Butler’s five-plus seasons with Miami, he has led two NBA Finals runs and came one bucket shy of securing a third berth in the title round. In 2023, the Heat became only the second No. 8 seed to reach the finals (1999 New York Knicks).Source: New York Times What’s the buzz on Twitter? Kurt Helin @basketballtalk Jimmy Butler reportedly reiterates trade request in face-to-face meeting with Pat Riley None of this changes the situation: Miami hasn’t traded Butler because the offers for him are lowball or involve taking on a big, long contract (Bradley Beal). nbcsports.com/nba/news/jimmy… – 2:19 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang Yes, there was a meeting between Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley in recent days. Yes, Jimmy Butler would still rather play elsewhere. Yes, finding a trade that it likes has been challenging for the Heat. – 1:09 PM Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds The three things I would urge people to remember about a Jimmy Butler trade: – The Heat won’t make a deal they don’t like – Just because it works in the trade machine doesn’t mean it works in real life – Losing him as a free agent for nothing may end up as the best deal – 12:35 PM Shams Charania @ShamsCharania ESPN reporting: Suspended Heat star Jimmy Butler tells Pat Riley in face-to-face meeting that he wants to be traded and will not sign a new deal in Miami. espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 12:24 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang No Bam Adebayo, no Jimmy Butler, not enough offense for Heat in loss to Clippers. Takeaways and details from the defeat in Los Angeles miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Heat’s winning streak snapped at three, falls to 3-2 on West Coast trip – 10:29 AM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang NEW: No Bam Adebayo, no Jimmy Butler, not enough offense for Heat in loss to Clippers. Takeaways and details miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Heat’s winning streak snapped at three, falls to 3-2 on West Coast trip – 12:52 AM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang Without Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, Heat opens 7 of 10 from the field and 4 of 6 on threes to take early 18-12 lead over Clippers. – 10:49 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang Bam Adebayo (lower back contusion) is out tonight vs. Clippers. It marks the first game that he has missed this season. Heat also without Josh Richardson, Jimmy Butler and Dru Smith tonight. – 9:02 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang From earlier: Among things keeping Heat’s Jimmy Butler busy during his suspension? His new BIGFACE coffee shop in the Design District miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 6:51 PM Steve Bulpett @SteveBHoop ICYMI over the weekend: NBA sources weigh in on the Jimmy Butler mess. … It ain’t pretty. Plus, we discuss the first time the Celtics tried to trade for Butler — what the Bulls requested and what a disaster it would have been if the C’s agreed. bit.ly/40vJ49W – 3:35 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors: Latest news, Butler nears return, Phoenix top destination, Warriors out An update on where things stand, which is more about Butler’s return this week from suspension and likely being with the team past the trade deadline. nbcsports.com/nba/news/jimmy… – 1:54 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang Among things keeping Heat’s Jimmy Butler busy during his suspension? His new BIGFACE coffee shop in the Design District miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 1:10 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang NEW: Among things keeping Heat’s Jimmy Butler busy during his suspension? His new BIGFACE coffee shop in the Design District miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… “It has been absolutely a blessing and a pleasure to be able to open up my first shop in Miami.” – 10:52 AM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype Giannis Antetokounmpo moved past Tony Parker and Terry Cummings to become No. 57 all-time in scoring. Klay Thompson moved ahead of Derek Harper, Rasheed Wallace and Amare Stoudemire for No. 123. Also: Devin Booker (28) is now ahead of Shawn Kemp, Jimmy Butler and Sam Perkins. – 4:02 AM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando Phoenix Suns ‘Want Jimmy Butler Bad,’ But Major Obstacles Remain sportando.basketball/en/phoenix-sun… – 1:22 PM More on this storyline Chris Haynes: Well, they’ve made it known that they’re entertaining offers. As I can tell right now, from the people I’ve spoken with around the league, the Miami Heat aren’t anywhere close to a Jimmy Butler trade. What I can tell you right now is that I think he’s a few games removed—I don’t know the exact number of games off the top of my head. Maybe you guys know how many games are left from his suspension—but I’m told he is fully prepared to return to play and suit up for the Miami Heat if he’s not moved by the time his suspension is lifted. -via YouTube / January

MorganFreeman

Jan 15, 2025 - 09:32

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Jimmy Butler wanted more aggressive moves from Heat front office

A source close to Butler said he has been at odds with the front office over making necessary moves to deliver the Heat their first NBA championship since 2013. During Butler’s five-plus seasons with Miami, he has led two NBA Finals runs and came one bucket shy of securing a third berth in the title round. In 2023, the Heat became only the second No. 8 seed to reach the finals (1999 New York Knicks).
Source: New York Times

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Jimmy Butler reportedly reiterates trade request in face-to-face meeting with Pat Riley
None of this changes the situation: Miami hasn’t traded Butler because the offers for him are lowball or involve taking on a big, long contract (Bradley Beal).
nbcsports.com/nba/news/jimmy… – 2:19 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Yes, there was a meeting between Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley in recent days. Yes, Jimmy Butler would still rather play elsewhere. Yes, finding a trade that it likes has been challenging for the Heat. – 1:09 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
The three things I would urge people to remember about a Jimmy Butler trade:
– The Heat won’t make a deal they don’t like
– Just because it works in the trade machine doesn’t mean it works in real life
– Losing him as a free agent for nothing may end up as the best deal – 12:35 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
ESPN reporting: Suspended Heat star Jimmy Butler tells Pat Riley in face-to-face meeting that he wants to be traded and will not sign a new deal in Miami.
espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 12:24 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
No Bam Adebayo, no Jimmy Butler, not enough offense for Heat in loss to Clippers. Takeaways and details from the defeat in Los Angeles miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Heat’s winning streak snapped at three, falls to 3-2 on West Coast trip – 10:29 AM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
NEW: No Bam Adebayo, no Jimmy Butler, not enough offense for Heat in loss to Clippers. Takeaways and details miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Heat’s winning streak snapped at three, falls to 3-2 on West Coast trip – 12:52 AM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Without Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, Heat opens 7 of 10 from the field and 4 of 6 on threes to take early 18-12 lead over Clippers. – 10:49 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Bam Adebayo (lower back contusion) is out tonight vs. Clippers. It marks the first game that he has missed this season.
Heat also without Josh Richardson, Jimmy Butler and Dru Smith tonight. – 9:02 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
From earlier: Among things keeping Heat’s Jimmy Butler busy during his suspension? His new BIGFACE coffee shop in the Design District miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 6:51 PM

Steve Bulpett @SteveBHoop
ICYMI over the weekend:
NBA sources weigh in on the Jimmy Butler mess. … It ain’t pretty.
Plus, we discuss the first time the Celtics tried to trade for Butler — what the Bulls requested and what a disaster it would have been if the C’s agreed.
bit.ly/40vJ49W – 3:35 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors: Latest news, Butler nears return, Phoenix top destination, Warriors out
An update on where things stand, which is more about Butler’s return this week from suspension and likely being with the team past the trade deadline.
nbcsports.com/nba/news/jimmy… – 1:54 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Among things keeping Heat’s Jimmy Butler busy during his suspension? His new BIGFACE coffee shop in the Design District miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 1:10 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
NEW: Among things keeping Heat’s Jimmy Butler busy during his suspension? His new BIGFACE coffee shop in the Design District miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… “It has been absolutely a blessing and a pleasure to be able to open up my first shop in Miami.” – 10:52 AM

Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Giannis Antetokounmpo moved past Tony Parker and Terry Cummings to become No. 57 all-time in scoring.
Klay Thompson moved ahead of Derek Harper, Rasheed Wallace and Amare Stoudemire for No. 123.
Also: Devin Booker (28) is now ahead of Shawn Kemp, Jimmy Butler and Sam Perkins. – 4:02 AM

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Phoenix Suns ‘Want Jimmy Butler Bad,’ But Major Obstacles Remain sportando.basketball/en/phoenix-sun… – 1:22 PM

More on this storyline

Chris Haynes: Well, they’ve made it known that they’re entertaining offers. As I can tell right now, from the people I’ve spoken with around the league, the Miami Heat aren’t anywhere close to a Jimmy Butler trade. What I can tell you right now is that I think he’s a few games removed—I don’t know the exact number of games off the top of my head. Maybe you guys know how many games are left from his suspension—but I’m told he is fully prepared to return to play and suit up for the Miami Heat if he’s not moved by the time his suspension is lifted. -via YouTube / January 15, 2025

Chris Haynes: I believe he made additional comments later that day or the next. I think that’s what Pat Riley was referring to when he said something along the lines of, “If you’re not playing, you probably should stay quiet.” Obviously, that rubbed Jimmy the wrong way. He felt like those comments took things too far. Both sides recognized the need for a face-to-face meeting to clear the air after everything that happened. Jimmy was under the assumption that Pat was going to visit him during the offseason at his place in San Diego. Jimmy even told him about it, but that meeting never materialized. Pat never went out there. There was no communication—no texts, no phone calls, no face-to-face meetings—until January 1, when the Heat brought Jimmy into the office. At that meeting, they questioned his effort, suggesting they didn’t think he was giving his all. From the end of last season until that point, there had been no communication between Jimmy and the team. -via YouTube / January 15, 2025

Chris Haynes: “I was told in the last 5 years, Jimmy took less than 5 separate flights from the team and 4 of them were in the Finals against Denver when his father was sick.” -via reddit / January 15, 2025