Jimmy Butler’s fantasy has come true. Miami is trading him out.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Heat and the Golden State Warriors have reached an agreement that will send Butler to the Bay Area on Wednesday. Butler’s Miami career, which will be remembered primarily for two visits to the NBA Finals and three bans at the end of a bitter split, comes to an end with the trade.
The source, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not received league approval, claimed that Golden State is making it happen by moving Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and draft compensation out of the transaction.
Whether all three of those guys would wind up in Miami was not immediately apparent.
Following stops in Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Miami, Golden State is Butler’s fifth team. All four cities celebrated his arrivals, but none of them were particularly happy when he left.
However, he expects to return to title contention with the Warriors, joining Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the two remaining players who have played on all four of the most recent Golden State championship teams.
Months passed before Butler and the Heat parted ways. Money was the main factor that led to the end of his time in Miami; he is eligible for a two-year, $113 million extension, but the Heat never made the offer, primarily because he has missed roughly 25% of the team’s games since joining in 2019.
Other elements also played a role. In the end, neither party was especially pleased with the other, and it became clear that the rift was irreparable. Dealing with Butler can be challenging, and the Heat “culture” is such that it functions best when everyone has the same values. The final straw on a list of what the franchise referred to as detrimental conduct was his seven-game suspension in early January after he stated he didn’t expect to find joy on the court with the Heat again.
A wild ending ensued, with Butler receiving three suspensions in January alone, a two-game suspension for missing a team flight, and an indefinite suspension for at least five games after leaving shootaround early after finding out he wouldn’t start a game against Orlando on January 27.
After his first game back after the initial suspension, Butler stated, “To tell you the truth, there was a lot said by everybody, except for me.” “We’ll let people keep talking. … The whole truth will come out.”
Since it is against league rules and would have resulted in a punishment of up to $150,000, he never publicly said that he requested a trade. When it was revealed that Butler had requested one, the Heat likewise veered away from team president Pat Riley’s December promise not to move him. The Heat claimed that they were attempting to make a deal happen at the time of the ban.
There were clear indications, though, as his hair for a few games coincidentally matched the colors of Phoenix, Dallas, Golden State, and Houston—the four clubs most frequently discussed as potential Miami trade partners. Butler also wore sneakers that matched the Suns’ color scheme exactly for at least one game.
This season, Butler is scoring 17 points per game on average. On December 16, he scored 35 points, pulled down 19 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in one of the Heat’s greatest statistical performances ever against Detroit.
Never again was it the same. Butler averaged 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his six games after that Detroit game, including one in which he left the game in the first quarter due to sickness.
Of course, there were times when the Heat-Butler marriage was a happy one. Butler came to take Dwyane Wade’s place as the team’s star and spokesperson. Wade’s old locker area was even given to him. In addition to helping the Heat reach the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed in 2023 and in the bubble in 2020, he was named an All-Star thrice while playing for Miami and had some incredible postseason performances. Butler is responsible for eight of the 18 40-point games in Heat playoff history, including a team-high 56 against Milwaukee in 2023.
After Wade and LeBron James, Butler leaves Miami in third place on the team’s all-time playoff scoring chart.
A padel tournament on January 25 marked one of Butler’s final appearances as a Heat player, effectively serving as his farewell to Miami.
The day he remarked, “I love this city with everything that I have,”
He received his third and last suspension from the Heat two days later. His Heat era is now ended.
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https://apnews.com/hub/nba is the AP NBA.
Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.