The Miami Heat are having a relatively solid campaign thus far, despite trading away the franchise’s best player of the past half-decade at last season’s trade deadline. Jimmy Butler had a highly publicized rocky relationship with the Heat’s front office, especially team president Pat Riley. A report from Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports claims that Riley was interested in trading Butler following the team’s magical playoff run in 2023.
“You know Pat shopped him after they got to the Finals,” Skolnick claimed. “You know that, right? He was done with it. They shopped him. They couldn’t find anything. This was after the 2022–23 season. How would the fans have reacted after he dragged them to the Finals?”
Butler helped lead the Heat, as the No. 8 seed, to the NBA Finals that season before losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games. It was the second time he led the team to the Finals, after serving as the star throughout the COVID-19 bubble. They previously lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals. Even though they fell short in both appearances, Butler was viewed as the face of the franchise.
Butler has always been outspoken with the media, but things took a turn at the end of 2024 when he publicly voiced his frustration with the organization and requested a trade. Riley denied Butler a contract extension, leading to an even deeper rift between the two. Butler’s age made it difficult for Riley and the Heat to commit to additional seasons. He had a player option last offseason, but all signs pointed to him declining it and entering free agency if he was not moved prior to the deadline. The team ultimately dealt Butler to the Golden State Warriors for multiple veteran contracts and a protected first-round draft pick.
In retrospect, it is interesting to consider what packages the Heat could have received for Butler at his near-peak value in 2023. The 2023 offseason saw multiple stars, such as Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, get traded. The Beal deal, in particular, has since been viewed in hindsight as a significant overpay by the Phoenix Suns. Could Butler have attracted multiple draft picks, along with a solid player or two?
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