Jimmy Butler has taken some time away from waiting to see how the Damian Lillard trade talks work out for the Miami Heat to visit Wimbledon and give some of his fans there lifelong memories.
From South Beach to South West London ☄️
Welcome to #Wimbledon, @JimmyButler 🤝 pic.twitter.com/KzVoD0QSO0
— wta (@WTA) July 11, 2023
Butler posed for photos with two young fans and grabbed a drink from another onlooker while making his way across the famous tennis grounds.
Miami’s top player spent the early part of this offseason reportedly getting involved in the Lillard situation as a “central part of the Heat’s recruiting pitch” and posting about the Portland Trail Blazers star on social media.
Lillard has been rumored to be the top priority for the Heat this offseason, and the 32-year-old eventually got around to requesting a trade away from his only NBA team this month. Portland’s asking price and Miami’s offer have not lined up yet, but agents and executives around the NBA reportedly believe a deal between the teams will eventually get done.
In the meantime, Butler is taking advantage of his offseason downtime to watch some tennis and enjoy a trip to England. The 33-year-old this past season enhanced his reputation as one of the game’s most competitive players by leading the Heat to an unexpected berth in the NBA Finals. He was spectacular in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks and followed that up with solid play against the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics to help the Heat win the Eastern Conference title.
Butler and the Heat then put up a commendable effort against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, but the opposition proved to be too strong in the five-game series loss.
Coming off his 12th NBA season, Butler is at the All England Club in London with the tournament entering its latter stages. The men’s and women’s semifinals and finals are scheduled for this week, and Butler reportedly is planning to watch No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz compete in a quarterfinal match on Wednesday after the two met up at the Miami Open in March.
Butler could be looking for some championship inspiration that he can take back and impart to his Heat teammates. Maybe by the time he gets back from his vacation, Miami will be a little bit closer to adding Lillard to its roster.
