Stephen A Smith goes scorched earth on Heat's Jimmy Butler after latest suspension
Today at 12:39 PM
Jimmy Butler was once again suspended by the Miami Heat, this time for two games after missing the team’s flight as they were headed to Milwaukee to face the Bucks. This is just another story of Butler bucking the Heat as he still wants to be traded from the team.
The next day, Stephen A. Smith had a lot to say about Butler and how he’s handling this current situation, and he didn’t hold back.
“Jimmy Butler, if you are watching, you are not helping yourself my brother. … This is an extra level on top of unprofessional. … They got [to trade him],” Smith said.
"Jimmy Butler, if you are watching, you are not helping yourself my brother. … This is an extra level on top of unprofessional. … They got [to trade him]."
Stephen A. Smith on the Heat suspending Butler for a second time
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/TOA8O3uT4a
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 23, 2025
At this point, it seems like Butler is putting himself in a bad position when it comes to trying to get traded because other teams can see how he’s moving and not want to deal with that. Nonetheless, this is how Butler has acted on every team at the end of his tenure, and someone still ends up trading for him.
Now, whenever Butler does something that isn’t team-friendly, Pat Riley will probably just suspend him, but this can go on for so long. In the end, the Heat are just going to have to try their best to find a trade partner.
Jimmy Butler suspended for two games
The Heat released a statement regarding Jimmy Butler’s suspension, saying “We have suspended Jimmy Butler for two games for continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today's team flight to Milwaukee.”
Butler was still going to meet the team in Milwaukee, but the Heat weren’t having it and made him stay home.
As the tension seems to be getting higher, the Heat have still been on the phone trying to trade Butler, and they recently had productive conversations with teams, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
"Jimmy Butler has tripled down on his trade request," Charania said on NBA Today. "He did it to Pat Riley’s face, and last week he did it to Micky Arison, the team owner and CEO. I’m told the Heat have had some productive conversations on a potential Butler trade this week."
The rumors still stand that the Phoenix Suns are Butler’s preferred destination, but they have a lot to figure out to make a trade happen. The one thing is that Bradley Beal has to waive his no-trade clause, meaning he’ll have to be in any deal that the Suns want to make in order to get Butler. The Suns have yet to talk to Beal about waiving his clause, which makes it more difficult to facilitate a deal.
The post Stephen A Smith goes scorched earth on Heat’s Jimmy Butler after latest suspension appeared first on ClutchPoints.
