Dwyane Wade breaks silence on 'tragic' Heat's Jimmy Butler-Pat Riley feud

01/16/2025 11:16 AM

With the drama between the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler continuing, one voice who has given his input is his team legend Dwyane Wade on the latest episode of his podcast “The Why.” As the Feb. 6 trade deadline looks to be important for the Heat if they decided to trade Butler, Wade would give his candid thoughts on both sides being the star player and team president Pat Riley.

Wade would briefly talk about the great accomplishments that Butler had with Miami as the organization needed a big star after he retired in 2018. What would result was two NBA Finals runs and other great seasons, but would also speak on how the relationship is ending “tragically.”

"The Heat was a soft landing spot for Jimmy and Jimmy was exactly the star that the Heat needed for six years — Finals, big moments that they've had together," Wade said. "It's ending tragically, this is tragic. This is a tragic way to end a relationship. So as a former player, it's ugly on our franchise, it's a stain on our franchise that we continue to have the way that the relationships break up. But also, too, on the other side, you don't run that organization as a player. So you get to that space sometimes where you want to do things your way. It's Pat Riley's way."

Dwyane Wade calls Jimmy Butler and Heat situation “ugly”

One aspect that Wade would mention is the prediction that there is no communication between the Heat and Butler which would ring true according to recent reports of both sides trying to amend issues. He would admit how “ugly” the situation has been on the team, but also expresses how Riley is “back” and ruling with an “iron fist.”

"A lot of this that's going on, it's just ugly because I know there ain't no communication going on," Wade said. "At the end, it's ego, it's pride, it's jockeying for position and it's ugly on our organization. But also at the same time from a person that's been inside of the organization, iron fist. If we're going to be that way, let's be that way. And the stuff that we've been hearing as former players, we don't like it. We didn't get away with that [expletive]. We didn't get away with that. But Pat Riley, he's back."

An event that the NBA Hall of Famer would point back to is his speech when the Heat built Wade a statue outside the arena where he addressed the current team. Wade would speak about how a “house divided” won’t run well within an organization that has built a distinct culture as he was in a place where he left Miami for the Chicago Bulls after contract disputes.

Dwyane Wade speaks on “house divided” speech

"A house divided against itself will not stand," Wade said late last year. "Y'all hear that? Current Miami Heat players, y'all hear that? A house divided against itself will not stand. You're either in or you're out."

"I stood up there and said that because the grass isn't always greener," Wade said about that speech on his podcast. "As someone who was in that situation before … when I left the organization, I wanted them to know that if you don't want to be here and the way things are working here and you don't like it, then don't be here.”

He would later speak about how there have been players that left Miami because of some differences with Riley and the organization, including not just himself but also LeBron James. The same is currently happening to Butler who expressed has lost his “joy” of playing basketball and responded “probably not” when asked if it could be regained with the Heat.

Butler would be suspended for seven games due to “conduct detrimental to the team” as Wade would say that whatever happens to a player, they will answer to Riley and then “you see who gets the last laugh.”

"When I look at the organization and I look at all the players that came through, yeah, a lot of guys have left and a lot of top guys have left because we've run into that guy [Riley]," Wade said. "We ran into that guy and when you run into that guy in Miami, you see who wins. You see who gets the last laugh."

The Heat host the Denver Nuggets on Friday where Butler is eligible to play, barring any more action.

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