Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Butler Gets Real About Miami Heat Stint Amid Trade Rumors

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Rex Villas | Last updated 5/10/24

Miami Heat president Pat Riley recently shut down the idea of his team looking to trade Jimmy Butler despite publicly criticizing the player’s behavior in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

It is also possible, given the current circumstances, that Butler will be a free agent by the end of the 2024-25 NBA season, as he has a player option to decide on for the 2025-26 campaign. That won’t matter if he and the Heat come up with an extension deal, but that’s not yet in the picture.

In any case, Butler recently opened up about how much he loves Miami.

Via Rohan Nadkarni of GQ Sports:

“I feel at home, man. I really care about the city, I really care about the people in this city. Miami has embraced me. They’ve wanted me to bring them something they haven’t done since LeBron, D-Wade and C-Bosh. And I want to do that. So as soon as I get this knee back right, I’m right back on they ass and everybody know it.”

Jimmy Butler’s Future With the Miami Heat

Butler has been playing for the Heat since the 2019-20 season. He has even led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances; the first one was in the 2020 bubble and the other one was last year when they lost to the Denver Nuggets.

The Heat struck out of the 2024 NBA Playoffs in the first round, with Butler missing all games against the powerful Boston Celtics. Butler’s age and proneness to injury are big factors that the Heat would definitely consider with regard to their plan for him. This season, Butler played in only 60 games and averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, while shooting 50 percent from the field.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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