The Jimmy-Butler-Heat saga is layers deep.The six-time All-Star forward — who has made it clear he wants a trade out of Miami — realized that he wasn’t in the Heat’s future plans when team president Pat Riley called a meeting with center Bam Adebayo to crown him leader of the franchise before the 2023-24 season, according to ESPN.Butler is set to return Friday against the Nuggets after serving a seven-game suspension from the Heat for conduct detrimental to the team.
“I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” one source close to the team told ESPN, while another source added: “We don’t want him back.”Heat brass are reportedly nervous for what could happen when Butler returns amid his feud with Riley over his suspension — and the potential $2.3 million it could cost him.Butler is set to earn $49 million this year after signing a four-year contract extension worth $184 million in 2021.Tension have been mounting for some time.
In July 2023, Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra were in search of someone to take over the responsibility after Udonis Haslem, the Heat’s longest-tenured player, retired after 20 seasons in Miami.“It was unanimous,” sources told ESPN of the Adebayo leading the team.Butler, who led the Heat to two NBA Finals in four years, reportedly wasn’t upset, but it was validation of where he stood with the organization.Butler — who was given free reign to fly private and separate from the team, among other privileges — felt as though he was being phased out of the offense to a third option, while Adebayo and guard Tyler Herro were being prioritized over him.“If they’re doing this transition to Bam and Tyler, Jimmy’s like, ‘Fine, do your transition,'” a source close to Butler told ESPN.
“If [he’s] going to be the second or third wheel, [he’ll] be that in Phoenix to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.”ESPN previously reported Butler told Riley he won’t sign an extension with the team and tha...