Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler met with the media on Tuesday and was asked a variety of questions about his future with the organization.
Butler appeared to be very careful with his answers throughout his media availability and was sure to be vague at times, but at certain points, he did drop some hints and noteworthy statements.
One hint appeared to come when he said that while it’s “good to be talked about,” it’s “better to be wanted.”
“It’s good to be talked about,” Butler said. “Even better to be wanted, though. Remember that.”
If Butler is implying that he doesn’t feel “wanted” by the Heat, there could be a few reasons why. For one, he could be referring to his contract situation, based on some reporting that came out last week.
“According to multiple sources, Butler has been disappointed with the Heat primarily because Miami declined to give him a two-year, $113 million contract extension this past summer, a deal that would have run through the 2026-27 season,” Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Dec. 25. “Butler was open to signing such a deal early in the negotiating window, but his mindset changed when the extension wasn’t immediately offered by the Heat.”
Butler was also reportedly “caught off guard” by some comments that Heat president Pat Riley made back in May.
“A source said that Butler was caught off guard when Heat president Pat Riley, during a May news conference, scolded him for saying that ‘Boston would be at home’ and ‘New York damn sure would be [expletive] at home’ if Butler had been healthy for Miami’s five-game first-round playoff loss against the [Boston] Celtics, which he missed because of a knee injury,” wrote Jackson and Chiang.
Butler on Tuesday appeared to make a subtle reference to Riley’s comments.
Another reason Butler may not feel wanted by the Heat is because of how they’ve handled the trade rumors surrounding him this season.
“According to a source, Butler was also disappointed that the Heat did not publicly deny a Dec. 10 ESPN report that Miami was open to trading him,” wrote Jackson and Chiang.
It’s worth noting that Riley eventually did release a statement on Butler’s future on Dec. 26.
Butler’s media availability from Tuesday is worth taking a good look at.
After ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Dec. 25 that Butler would prefer to be traded, the veteran didn’t exactly shoot down that notion on Tuesday.
All things considered, it still seems like there are more questions than answers when it comes to Butler’s future.
This season, the 35-year-old is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 55.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent shooting from deep. He is likely hoping to have a big season to increase his value when he hits free agency this offseason.
Butler’s tenure with the Heat reportedly hasn’t always been perfect behind the scenes, but Miami has to appreciate the fact that he has helped the franchise reach the NBA Finals twice. Now, one can’t help but wonder whether or not Butler and Heat have any magic left in the tank.