BREAKING: Miami Heat suspends Jimmy Butler for 7 games for publicly demanding a trade [@bytimreynolds broke 1st]

[djsunyc]

Perhaps Jimmy wants to play for a franchise that doesn’t reload a Finals team only on washed vets and G leaguers

this is what i dont get...you sign a contract to play for your team. if you dont like what's going on, you privately ask to be traded but in no way are you owed by the franchise to put a contender around you. i'm pretty sure riley wants to win but the moves didnt work out. but they dont owe jimmy anything in terms of team success.

What moves has Pat made these last few years? It’s pretty much all been Spo making the most outta very little.

but that doesnt matter. players do have a choice here too. they can sign shorter term deals so they can leave situations on their own terms. but if you sign long term, umderstand that there's no guarantee the team gets better. no single player is owed that just like no player owes a team an extension if they want to explore free agency.

this culture of complaining by players and front office leaking stuff is just part and parcel of the league when it doesnt have to be. this is a case of 2 strong personalities clashing.

[davidv2001]

So people are actually against Jimmy here?

Riley seems like the snake here. Especially since his comments from last postseason

Riley should have traded Butler long before it got to this point, but Butler is tanking his effort to get out of Miami. He deserved this suspension.

[Gday mate]

Woof. Don’t remember there being such an ugly breakup in season. Ugly times in South Beach.

Read on Twitter

A leopard doesn't change his stripes. Minnesota was very ugly

[FrodoFraggins]

wow. im guessing there was some stuff going on behind the scenes as well.

I actually think this is good long term for the league (for teams to fight back), kudos to Riley.

Yeah but he also has inflamed it several times while apparently refusing to just trade the dude.

[SSUBluesman]

What an absolute mess. Heat look like an entire clown show.

A clown show is what Jimmy did to the Wolves, which presumably is what this action is meant to prevent. You know, when he said he would sit at home for a trade and then started deciding when and where he would practice and play, including a practice against players that were trying to win and not get themselves a contract.

So people are actually against Jimmy here?

Riley seems like the snake here. Especially since his comments from last postseason

Yes because we've seen this episode before and some of us (Wolves fans) have experienced it.

Riley's the snake because he pushed back on Jimmy trying to publicly stroke his ego? Sure Jan.

If anything Riley should have moved him in the summer before he (predictably) went full Jimmy.

[Iwasawitness]

I personally wouldn't mind the suspension... if not for the fact that Butler is on my fantasy team.

**** me.

[winforlose]

This is actually a great move by Miami. Everyone knows who Jimmy is, so this doesn’t really lower his trade value. Meanwhile he stays healthy and away from the team, and the Heat can show they can win even with Jimmy away. Maybe they come off a bit less desperate to move him.

[Decipher]

Brooklyn can afford him



We don’t want him

[JShuttlesworth]

Honestly, good on Pat Riley.

Jimmy is free to sign wherever he wants as a free agent, if Riley doesn't want to trade him, he doesn't have to trade him. Butler should still show up and be a professional instead of acting like he's owed something.

It's not like the Heat haven't paid him very well during his time in Miami....

If he has a problem with the CBA, and he's upset he wont get the contract he "deserves" in free agency, he should take that up with the players union. Those rules are designed to keep stars in a city, not for the stars to try and hold teams hostage and force a trade.

[Synciere]

wow. im guessing there was some stuff going on behind the scenes as well.

I actually think this is good long term for the league (for teams to fight back), kudos to Riley.

Fight back against your franchise player who has dragged you to the Finals, twice?

Jimmy wanted an extension, and Riley went all taciturn and public with his comments. Riley initiated this. This isn’t the Heat fighting back; this is Jimmy fighting back and Riley getting upset that Jimmy didn’t capitulate.

Teams almost always have the power and leverage. Why are people so geeked that they are swatting at players who have less say and power in these situations?

Odd.

[Shootit]

Surprised at the suspension but not at looking to trade him now.

[TorontoBarneys]

Good. He deserves it, though the irony of the Heat suspending a guy for demanding a trade should not be lost on anyone.

"He deserves a 4 million fine for asking for a trade." Anti-player bias is getting ridiculous.

He has every right to ask for a trade. It's part of the business. Pat Riley is in all likelihood a complete scumbag.

[BlacJacMac]

What an absolute mess. Heat look like an entire clown show.

A clown show is what Jimmy did to the Wolves, which presumably is what this action is meant to prevent. You know, when he said he would sit at home for a trade and then started deciding when and where he would practice and play, including a practice against players that were trying to win and not get themselves a contract.

So people are actually against Jimmy here?

Riley seems like the snake here. Especially since his comments from last postseason

Yes because we've seen this episode before and some of us (Wolves fans) have experienced it.

Riley's the snake because he pushed back on Jimmy trying to publicly stroke his ego? Sure Jan.

If anything Riley should have moved him in the summer before he (predictably) went full Jimmy.

This is who Jimmy is.

He wanted to go to Minnesota. Then he wanted out.

He wanted to got to Philly. Then he wanted out.

He wanted to go to Miami. Now he wants out.

[SA37]

Perhaps Jimmy wants to play for a franchise that doesn’t reload a Finals team only on washed vets and G leaguers

this is what i dont get...you sign a contract to play for your team. if you dont like what's going on, you privately ask to be traded but in no way are you owed by the franchise to put a contender around you. i'm pretty sure riley wants to win but the moves didnt work out. but they dont owe jimmy anything in terms of team success.

What moves has Pat made these last few years? It’s pretty much all been Spo making the most outta very little.

I don't think you can separate the FO from the coaching staff when it comes to player development. The fact of the matter is Miami's player and coaching development system has been built by Riley. Spoelstra himself is a product of that very system, as are Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Miami has missed on their big targets over the last few years (Giannis, Durant, Lillard, Mitchell) and the Lowry trade was meh, but the team has continued to find and develop role players (Highsmith, Strus, Vincent, Nunn, Caleb Martin, D Robinson) and make solid draft picks (JJJ and Jovic) all while making deep runs in the playoffs.

I don't think there is much to criticize here. At any rate, let's see what Miami does with the Butler situation.

[davidv2001]

Perhaps Jimmy wants to play for a franchise that doesn’t reload a Finals team only on washed vets and G leaguers

Jimmy Butler is under contract with the Miami Heat. He has spent the last two games after returning from a 10-day illness jacking around on the court. You can argue whether the Heat are within their rights to give him a seven-game suspension, but even if they hadn’t, what’s stopping Spoelstra from DNP’ing him until a trade occurs?

[OkcSinceSGA]

Miami didn't suspend him for requesting a trade, they suspended him for dogging games. He's played like garbage and did so intentionally. He's sulked on the court! During games!

Lol... it would be WAY more justified to suspend someone for making a mess in pressers and destroying trade leverage. You can't suspend someone in sports for "dogging games, playing like garbage" lmfao. Do you realize how many players would randomly be suspended without pay if so?

[JXL]

What an absolute mess. Heat look like an entire clown show.

A clown show is what Jimmy did to the Wolves, which presumably is what this action is meant to prevent. You know, when he said he would sit at home for a trade and then started deciding when and where he would practice and play, including a practice against players that were trying to win and not get themselves a contract.

So people are actually against Jimmy here?

Riley seems like the snake here. Especially since his comments from last postseason

Yes because we've seen this episode before and some of us (Wolves fans) have experienced it.

Riley's the snake because he pushed back on Jimmy trying to publicly stroke his ego? Sure Jan.

If anything Riley should have moved him in the summer before he (predictably) went full Jimmy.

This is who Jimmy is.

He wanted to go to Minnesota. Then he wanted out.

He wanted to got to Philly. Then he wanted out.

He wanted to go to Miami. Now he wants out.

Well, he didn't really want to go to Minnesota or Philadelphia, he was traded there despite his wishes.

[OxAndFox]

That seems excessive to me. Look at all the 7 games and more suspensions and see if it fits this. IMO I don't think it does.

What I found even funnier was Shaq going in to bat for Jimmy saying he deserves an extension because "they're a lot of bums getting paid more than Jimmy."

Below is the list of players getting more than him.
Kawhi
PG13
Kat
Booker
Jaylen Brown
Beal
KD
Jokic
Embiid
Steph

[Decipher]

there's no need to take anyone's side here...either riley or butler. we are not privy to all the goings on over the past 1+ years.

You’re obviously lost

This is the GB and when there’s a chance to jump to conclusions, it’s how high

[Patsfan1081]

So people are actually against Jimmy here?

Riley seems like the snake here. Especially since his comments from last postseason

Butler has a history of being difficult to get along with, dude’s emo. If he gets traded it better be to a team where he isn’t a alpha.