February 2, 2025

LINK TO ARTICLE: https://shuttersportsmedia.ca/newsletter/f/what-is-happening-with-jimmy-butler?blogcategory=*Olivia+Byrne

Jimmy Butler, known for his wacky media day hairstyles and impressive playoff performances, is quickly gaining a new reputation as the NBA’s biggest name, but not for the reason you think. 

In 2019, Butler joined the Miami Heat from the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year contract. It seemed as if Butler and his mentality were tailor-made for Miami’s “Heat Culture,” and to say that he thrived on the team would be an understatement. 

The following year, during the COVID bubble, the Heat went to the 2020 finals thanks to an amazing performance by Butler, who was pictured leaning over the guardrails in exhaustion during a game.  

In the 2021-22 season, Miami was the number one seed in the East and missed returning to the Finals by one game courtesy of a late fourth-quarter comeback by the Boston Celtics. A year later, the Heat got their long-awaited revenge on the Celtics, winning Game 7 in Boston and returning to the Finals, this time as a Number 8 seed. 

Butler’s playoff performances became so iconic that the nickname “Playoff Jimmy” stuck. However, his postseason stats began to contrast with his regular-season production, with injuries keeping him out of a combined 40 games during the past 2 seasons. Butler also missed Miami’s entire first-round playoff loss to the Celtics in 2024 with a sprained MCL. 

In a radio interview on May 4, 2024, Butler commented on his team’s loss, stating that if he was healthy, the Heat would have eliminated both the Celtics and the Knicks. The Celtics went on to win the title last year. Butler’s statement left a bad taste in the mouth of Heat president Pat Riley, prompting him to direct a comment toward the veteran player at his end-of-season news conference, saying, “If you’re not on the court playing… you should keep your mouth shut.” 

Riley then declined to reward a maximum contract to Butler, despite his two NBA Finals appearances, emphasizing his desire for Butler to be on the floor more often. Butler has missed roughly 25% of the team’s games since he arrived in 2019. 

At the start of the 2024-25 season, Butler had dropped the antics he had become known for on media day: emo hair in 2023 and dreadlocks in 2022, stating he “wanted to focus on the season ahead.” 

Butler is averaging 17 points per game, his lowest since the 2013-14 season. 

On December 10, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Heat were listening to offers on Butler. On December 25, 2024, it was reported that Butler preferred a trade out of Miami. Riley issued a statement the day after:

“We usually don’t comment on rumours, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches,” Riley stated. “Therefore, we will make it clear – we are not trading Jimmy Butler.” 

It is unclear whether this statement was directed at the public, or at Butler himself.

Butler had been in the shadows for most of this time. He had rolled an ankle on December 20 and missed 13 days with an illness. The 35-year-old returned for the first two days of the new year and indicated that the Heat accused him of not playing his hardest in the first game against the New Orleans Pelicans. After a 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on January 2, Butler found himself being brutally honest in a post-game conference. 

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

When asked if Butler could find that joy in Miami, he added “Probably not.”

On January 3, a day after his rant, Butler was suspended for seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks.” 

In a second statement issued from the Miami Heat, it was mentioned that “through [Butler’s] actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be a part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.” The suspension cost Butler $2.35 million. 

In a meeting with Riley held during his suspension, Butler said that he will not sign a new deal in Miami and intends to use his $52 million player option in the offseason for 2025-26 only as a trade maneuver, per source.  

Once his suspension was over, Butler was back and played three games with the Heat…before getting suspended again on January 22. 

Butler’s second suspension lasted two games, for what the team in a statement called a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team,” including missing the team’s flight to Milwaukee earlier that day. The Heat were slated to play the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets during his suspension. 

The earliest Butler could return to the court was on January 27, against the Orlando Magic. Miami was back home, and Butler was finished with his suspension, and ready to return.

And then he got suspended for a third time. 

Butler had participated in the team’s morning shoot-around practice prior to facing the Magic but was told he would not be back in the starting lineup for the game. Upon hearing this, Butler walked out of practice and did not return, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. 

The Heat released a statement 3 hours before game time, officially suspending Butler for the third time this month. 

“The Miami Heat are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games,” reads the statement. “The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.” 

Butler’s third suspension will take him through the February 6 trade deadline, raising the possibility that Butler will not play for the team again. He recently took to social media, posting a video on his Instagram story of his card getting declined, claiming that he was unemployed so his card did not work. He also posted an image on Instagram, referencing the show “Martin” and the character Tommy Strawn. Strawn was known for not having a job in the show. 

The combination of Butler’s $48.8 million salary and nearly a third of teams not allowed to take back more salary in a trade makes any potential trade deal very complicated. Last month, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that Butler’s list of preferred trade destinations included the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. 

Three of those four teams: Phoenix, Dallas, and Golden State, would need to trade a quarter of their roster in order to have enough room to acquire the star forward. The Brooklyn Nets are the only team that is projected to have more than $40 million in cap space, and Butler does not fit their roster timeline. 

An important scenario to make note of is what the Los Angeles Clippers did with Paul George last season. Instead of trading Paul George for contracts that would tie up their flexibility, the Clippers let George walk for nothing. The Clippers were then able to use the savings from George to sign James Harden, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Kevin Porter Jr., and Mo Bamba. 

The Heat may take a similar approach, as they would be nearly $50 million below the luxury tax line if Butler opts out of his contract and signs elsewhere. 

Wherever he ends up, it’s important to note that Butler still loves Miami, just in an off-the-court sense. “I love this city with everything that I have,” Butler said, via Will Munro of WPLG Local 10 News. “I’m so glad I get to be around so many incredible people, friends, and family that are here. This city deserves everything.