Few players in Miami Heat franchise history have accomplished more during their time with the team than star forward Jimmy Butler has. With him leading the charge since roughly the beginning of the decade, Miami has made the NBA Finals twice (2020 and 2023) and reached the Eastern Conference Finals a separate time as well (2022).
But the writing may be on the wall for Butler’s time with the Heat. The 35-year-old has allegedly indicated that he wants to be traded out of Miami, and he’s currently in the middle of a seven-game suspension that the Heat gave him for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green indicated recently that the situation between Butler and the Heat is something that’s possibly been brewing for some time.
Draymond Green speaks on the Jimmy Butler/Heat breakup
“I’ve actually been hearing the last couple of years they have been tired of Jimmy, Jimmy was kind of tired of them… I think he more so enjoyed his life and what comes with him being the face of the Miami Heat”
“Again,… pic.twitter.com/aG36OGWfRK
— Emo Jimmy (@HeatCulture13) January 8, 2025
Fans of the Heat certainly haven’t had much to cheer about ever since the team defied the odds and represented the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed.
Miami hasn’t won a playoff series since qualifying for the 2023 championship series. The Heat were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in five games in the 2023 NBA Finals and more recently lost to the Boston Celtics in a gentleman’s sweep in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Butler wasn’t an overwhelmingly dominant presence for the Heat in either of those series against Denver and Boston. Against the Nuggets with a title on the line, he had probably his worst series of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Then, when the Heat played the Celtics to kick off the following year’s playoffs, he was sidelined with an MCL injury and could only watch as his team was eliminated.
If Butler is still a member of the Heat by the time he serves the entirety of his suspension, he will be eligible to make his return to the lineup for Miami when the team takes on the Nuggets on Jan. 17.
In the meantime, Miami is trying to stay afloat without its star veteran. The Heat are just above .500 right now at 18-17, good enough for a playoff spot for the time being.
