Jimmy Butler-Pat Riley trade situation gets reality check from Heat legend
Today at 07:48 PM
The clock is ticking on a potential trade involving disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. The Heat have until Thursday, Feb. 6, at 3:00 PM ET to send the former Marquette Golden Eagles star somewhere via a trade, but there’s just not much clarity on that front at the moment.
Moving Butler is going to be easier said than done. It’s tricky. How the relationship between the Heat, particularly president Pat Riley, and Jimmy Butler has come down to this, is, according to former Miami star point guard Tim Hardaway Sr., is the former’s “fault.”
“Yeah, but that’s Pat’s [Riley] fault to me,” Hardaway, who played five-plus seasons for the Heat, said in a recent appearance on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” podcast.
“You let him [Butler] fly on his own private jet to different places and he’ll meet the team but shoot around. You let that stuff get out of hand. And then when Jimmy Butler, now I’m gonna tell you that, he deserves his money,” Hardaway added.
At the same time, Hardaway believes that despite Jimmy Butler’s bitter feelings, he’s still got to show up to work and act professionally.
“But you can’t play 60% of the games,” Hardaway continued.”You got to understand, Pat is in the driver’s seat. We don’t have to trade you. And you’re still under contract. Understand you want to get traded, but you still gotta go out there and not jeopardize the game. If it don’t benefit the Heat, Pat is not gonna do it. And Jimmy needs to just go out there and play. And if you want to trade, it will happen.”
Ex-Heat star doesn’t think Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley will patch things up
Asked whether there’s still a chance for reconciliation for Riley and Butler, Hardaway said that he doesn’t see it happening, considering what has transpired.
“What Jimmy says to Pat in his face, he wants to get traded. He wants to get out of there. I think it’s over. I don’t think there’s no patching up because he told him in his face,” the five-time NBA All-Star shared.
Butler is currently serving an indefinite suspension after he reportedly walked out of practice. The latest suspension come just after he got suspended two games for missing a team flight. The 35-year-old Butler could become a free agent in the summer if he doesn’t pick up his $52.413 million player option for the 2025-6 NBA season.
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