Former NBA player Rashad McCants called out his former agent Bernie Lee (who happens to be Jimmy Butler’s agent) about the current drama surrounding the Miami Heat star.
“Bernie Lee used to be my agent,” McCants said. “And Bernie ain’t gon’ tell you to shut the f— up. ‘Jimmy, shut the f— up.’ Bernie, you ain’t gonna tell it. ‘Jimmy, shut the f— up.’”
Butler, who has requested to be traded from the Heat, was suspended for the third time this season on Monday after he left the team’s shootaround.
BREAKING: The Miami Heat are suspending Jimmy Butler indefinitely. He walked out of Heat shootaround this morning after being informed the team is planning not to start him moving forward, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/TBdrAJJWtD
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) January 27, 2025
Despite all the success that the Heat have had with Butler on the roster, it appears that the two sides are headed toward an ugly divorce. If the Heat are unable to trade Butler by the Feb. 6 trade deadline, it’s unclear what his role with the franchise would be for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
This season, Butler has been limited to just 25 games, and he is having one of his worst statistical seasons in Miami. The six-time All-Star is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3. Mainly, Butler has taken a step back as a scorer and is averaging his fewest points per game since his third season in the NBA.
Trading Butler won’t be easy for the Heat due to his massive contract.
Butler is under contract for the 2024-25 season and has a player option worth more than $52 million left on his deal for the 2025-26 campaign. If he decides to opt out of that, a team dealing for Butler this season may only get him as a rental – which could limit how much the Heat are able to get in return.
While McCants thinks that Butler’s agent needs to get him under control, the situation may be beyond repair now that the star forward has been suspended for a third time.
Despite all of the Butler drama, the Heat still hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference after they knocked off the Orlando Magic on Monday night. Hopefully for Heat fans, Miami will be able to make the playoffs this season regardless if Butler is a part of the team or not.
