Heat suspends Jimmy Butler for seven games after controversial press conference and says they will listen to trade offers
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Heat suspends Jimmy Butler for seven games after controversial press conference and says they will listen to trade offers

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) stands on the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Jimmy Butler wants out of the Miami Heat. It looks like the team is okay with pampering him. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Jimmy Butler’s situation doesn’t get much better in Miami.

The Miami Heat announced Friday that they have suspended the six-time All-Star for “multiple team-detrimental behaviors” over the course of the season, a day after he held a surreal press conference in which he loudly signaled that he wanted to be traded become. While they take action against Butler’s behavior, they also added that they will listen to trade offers for him.

The Heat’s full statement:

We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games because he has committed behavior detrimental to the team on several occasions over the course of the season and particularly in the last few weeks.

Through his actions and statements he has shown that he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they want a trade, so we will listen to the offers

The day before, Butler made it clear in a postgame press conference that he intended to leave Miami. After scoring just nine points in his second game following a five-game absence due to a so-called illness, Butler criticized his current role on the team and didn’t hold back when asked what should happen:

“What do I want to see? I want to regain my joy of playing basketball, and wherever that may be, we’ll find out soon. I want to regain my joy. I’m happy here.” But I want to be somewhat dominant again, I want to play basketball and help this team win. At the moment I don’t do that.

When asked if he thought he could recapture that joy in Miami, he responded with just two words: “Probably not.”

The suspension comes after not just days but months of tension between Butler and the Heat’s leadership, most notably team president Pat Riley.

The first major rift occurred after the Heat were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Butler missed the entire series with a knee injury and then suggested that the team would have won the series with him.

In response, Riley publicly told Butler to “shut up.” This also came after Riley announced that the team would not be extending Butler’s contract beyond this season.

There was a recent report around Christmas that Butler would prefer a move away from the Heat before the February deadline, although he had not made a formal request. Riley firmly rejected the idea, clearly stating in a statement: “We are not trading with Jimmy Butler.” Butler seemed to disagree with this, as he basically just shrugged when asked if he was for the rest of the wants to stay with the Heat this season. And then, two days later, he told the entire basketball world that he didn’t enjoy the game and didn’t think it could be fixed in Miami.

This is far from Butler’s first messy breakup with a team, and it’s hard to imagine a team not showing interest in signing a player with his two-way talent. The NBA trade deadline is scheduled for February 6th.

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