MIAMI— Jimmy Butler was Miami’s best player for five years, the leader of a team that went to the NBA Finals twice in his tenure. He talked big and, at times, played bigger. He spoke with reverence for the city, for the franchise, for the famed “Heat Culture.”
He also missed a lot of games, seemed unhappy at times and then didn’t get a $113 million extension that he was eligible for last summer.
And now, a breakup looms.
One day after Butler said that he doesn’t think he can find on-court joy in Miami going forward, the Heat suspended him for seven games and said they will listen to trade offers — a clear sign that they do not expect him to wear their uniform again.
“We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks,” the team said in a statement Friday night. “Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team.”
Butler will lose about $336,543 per game during the suspension, about $2,355,798 in all. He has the right to an appeal, which could lessen the financial hit.
The National Basketball Players Association said it intends to file a grievance, calling the seven-game suspension “excessive and inappropriate.”
Barring a change to the suspension on appeal, Butler will not be with the team for its home game Saturday against Utah and then the totality of a six-game road trip to Sacramento, Golden State, Utah, Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In theory, the earliest that Butler could play again for the Heat is Jan. 17 at home against Denver. But he has likely played for Miami for the final time.
“Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers,” the Heat said.
Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The team saying it’s open to moving the six-time All-Star is a sharp turnaround from a week ago, when Heat President Pat Riley said that the team would not trade Butler.
That was then. Now, the relationship between Butler and the Heat — a talking point for weeks — appears to be well past the breaking point.
The Heat lost to Indiana 128-115 on Thursday night, with Butler scoring exactly nine points and sitting out the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. It also happened Wednesday in a win over New Orleans.
“What do I want to see happen? I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball, wherever that may be — we’ll find out here pretty soon,” Butler said after Thursday’s game. “I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I’m not doing that.”
He was then asked if he can find that joy in Miami. “Probably not,” Butler said, and with that, his postgame news conference ended.
Most likely, so did his Heat tenure.
“Who moves the needle the most on our team is Jimmy,” Riley said in May, after last season ended. “Jimmy moves the needle the most. He’s an incredible player.”
Butler left a mark in Miami over his 5 1/2 seasons — eighth in team history in points, eighth in assists, eighth in steals, all of that in just 313 appearances. And in the playoffs, he was exceptional: There have been 18 games of 40 or more points in team postseason history and Butler is responsible for eight of them, including a record 56-point night against Milwaukee in the 2023 playoffs.
The 35-year-old Butler became eligible last summer for an extension. The Heat did not offer one, and Riley expressed reservations about how giving such a deal to any player who misses a big number of games.
Butler has missed about one of every four Heat contests since he joined the team. He said at media day this fall he believed his play this season would have the extension decision “take care of itself.”
