Jimmy Butler’s future with the Miami Heat has emerged as a matter of some speculation, with one NBA insider entering a social media fray to defend a story he wrote that one fan described as “bulls—.”
There are rumblings that Miami could be open to parting ways with Jimmy Butler rather than extending him, per @basketballtalk
“Despite what Pat Riley said at his press conference, there are rumblings that Miami could be open to parting ways with Jimmy Butler rather than… pic.twitter.com/QHqTgKkXsy
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 24, 2024
After NBA insider Kurt Helin wrote in a story that there have been “rumblings” that the Heat could be open to parting ways with Butler instead of extending him, the news made the rounds on social media.
Later, the article was seemingly updated to include some important qualifiers — that the rumblings have come from other teams and that it’s still likely that Butler will ultimately stay with the Heat.
Helin referenced the updated version in response to a fan that had a problem with the original version.
Here is how that paragraph reads in the story — the 17th paragraph:
"Despite what Pat Riley said at his press conference, there are rumblings from other teams that Miami could be open to parting ways with Jimmy Butler rather than extending him (although he most likely stays)."
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) May 25, 2024
This postseason, Butler was injured during Miami’s first game in the play-in round and was unable to take part in its first-round series loss to the Boston Celtics. After the Heat made it all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals, this year’s disappointing early exit has raised some questions about the team’s makeup going forward.
In addition, despite not being able to play, Butler had plenty to say, which drew a rebuke from Heat president Pat Riley. Having a legendary executive step out in that way against a star player may have generated some speculation about Butler’s future with the Heat, even though NBA executives reportedly believe the six-time All-Star will remain with his current team.
Helin’s piece does float the idea of Butler rejoining the Philadelphia 76ers to pair with Joel Embiid, something mentioned by fellow NBA insider Jeff Fischer of Yahoo! Sports. Also, well-know NBA observer Bill Simmons recently warned Butler that the Heat “will absolutely trade your a–…if you don’t start playin’ basketball games.”
The veteran was able to appear in just 60 regular season games before being unable to perform in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. However, with all that Butler has given to the franchise, it does seem unlikely that the Heat would move on from him after just one unsatisfying campaign.
