Why didn't Miami just pay Jimmy?

[Big J]

I've watched every game that Jimmy has played since the trade, and I cannot figure out why Miami didn't want to pay him. He gives 110% effort, and is an absolute dawg, especially in the most important games. The Heat not taking care of him just pissed him off, and made him want out. Why would you want to piss off your best player especially when he is this good?

[MrGoat]

Age, that's the only reason.

[OxAndFox]

Because they're not stupid.

[Big J]

Because they're not stupid.

4-10 since the trade, and GS is 11-1 in games he's played.

[cgf]

Because Jimmy was out of his “proving I’m worth the money” phase with Miami and in his “y’all owe me” phase. Missing games & dicking around when he did play, while being difficult off the court.

Paying “something to prove” Jimmy for shorter, is a lot more enticing.

[cgf]

Because they're not stupid.

4-10 since the trade, and GS is 11-1 in games he's played.

Relationships evolve with time. Miami wasn’t getting “something to prove” Jimmy and he wasn’t ready to settle for a shorter deal with them. They were getting entitled & difficult Jimmy wanting max term.

Plus their other core guys are a lot younger than Steph & draymond.

[dhsilv2]

Because they're not stupid.

4-10 since the trade, and GS is 11-1 in games he's played.

What does that have to do with anything? The question was the next 2 years. Not this year.

[Johnny Bball]

Because they're not stupid.

4-10 since the trade, and GS is 11-1 in games he's played.

And you think you're getting that for this plus 3 more years? No

[Tim_Hardawayy]

Because they're not stupid.

4-10 since the trade, and GS is 11-1 in games he's played.

Relationships evolve with time. Miami wasn’t getting “something to prove” Jimmy and he wasn’t ready to settle for a shorter deal with them. They were getting entitled & difficult Jimmy wanting max term.

Plus their other core guys are a lot younger than Steph & draymond.

Besides that, there's two other points to consider. One, if you pay Jimmy the years he wanted you are severely limiting your future flexibility. Jimmy looks great on a team like GSW where he can be that #2 to Steph, but Miami didn't have a guy who could relieve that burden for him (Bam's not aggressive enough, Herro not talented enough).

Two, Jimmy still didn't get the deal he wanted (he wanted two extra years). So next season, GSW are in the same position Miami was this season. And if they don't go far in the playoffs and he finds himself worrying about his future, those same extension talks will be occurring with GSW, except a year older with more mileage on him.

All that being said, I think Jimmy's the kind of guy whose game will age decently. But it doesn't change the fact he has had injury concerns, and his unprofessionalism really went to a level I didn't even think he was capable of (past issues with him involved teammates not pushing themselves, he had no issue with his teammates in Miami).

[Infinite Llamas]

The man has burned a bridge with every team he has left. It will happen in Golden State too. A zebra can’t change its stripes.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

The man has burned a bridge with every team he has left. It will happen in Golden State too. A zebra can’t change its stripes.

I wish him well but unless he develops humility in the span of a year, I don't see how the Warriors aren't going through it next year as well unless they just open up the pocketbook for him. Which they might just do, if they go far in the postseason and Steph signs off on it.

[Ice Man]

It was the right move for Miami. Jimmy can't carry a team any more at his age. He has to pick his spots and he misses a lot of games. Back in the day, he was outright great. Only an outright great player could have taken that meh Miami group to two Finals, plus Game 7 of a Conference Finals. But that version of Jimmy no longer exists.

At GS, the current version of Jimmy can be the 2nd banana, stepping up when needed, but not required to be a stud every game. It's the right role for him. Plus, if you factor in GS's age, it's a perfect fit that way, too.

[ShootersShoot]

Giving big contracts, even shorter term ones to 35 year olds is always a risk, and one miami I guess did not want to take. From an outsider perspective it seemed like they reached their ceiling as a core and started to feel like they werent contenders with that group regardless of how well jimmy had been playing in the pos.

[Domejandro]

Because Jimmy Butler has a pattern of poor off-the-court (which translates to on-the-court!) conduct which makes long-term investment into him as a player problematic.

An example of this is that Minnesota was prepared to offer Jimmy Butler a full-max contract, but were limited by extension rules. Instead of waiting a year to get his max, Jimmy demanded that the team trade off a ton of salary to renegotiate and extend. Probably the most bizarre and unreasonable demand I've seen from a player.

[trickshot]

Because without a true offensive superstar you're basically just giving him that contract for the sake of selling tickets.

Basically don't have the kind of team to justify making him a last domino signing.

[Lenneth]

The man has burned a bridge with every team he has left. It will happen in Golden State too. A zebra can’t change its stripes.

I wish him well but unless he develops humility in the span of a year, I don't see how the Warriors aren't going through it next year as well unless they just open up the pocketbook for him. Which they might just do, if they go far in the postseason and Steph signs off on it.

They already either extended or promised Butler for 2 years/111 mils.

[Handlez]

So he can quit on them whenever he feels like it?

[OxAndFox]

Because they're not stupid.

4-10 since the trade, and GS is 11-1 in games he's played.

It's not all about the record since the trade though is it? But if it is, yeah that was well worth $111m.
The entire thing is more nuanced than that. Why didn't Miami just pay Jimmy? That was the question.

Well, for a start Jimmy threw a tantrum and quit on his team. Simple as that. Showed true character. You don't want that hanging over your head with every decision the franchise makes could set a ticking timebomb off. It will most likely happen again so you cut the cord.

He was playing at similar levels in Miami and they were 13-12 with him. Shock horror Miami don't have a Steph Curry. So why didn't Miami pay Jimmy Butler to be a barely over .500 team?

Go back and have a look at Steph's February and March, then you will see why the records are like that. Not suggesting the Jimmy Butler addition hasn't helped them, it absolutely has, just Steph in Feb/March is:
30.5/4/6
.465
.388
.929
Usage of over 30 for first time this season. He hasn't been at these levels all season, so in your 12 game sample size Steph is playing at a whole new level (for this season).

Jimmy hasn't played 65 games in a single season since 2018/19. The salary cap is getting so tight that teams have to weigh things up like this. GSW are going to find this out in the off season having 9 players at $170m without Kuminga. They will get things done obviously with trades etc, but sacrifices will need to be made.

It's just not wise to hitch your future to injury plagued guys that are nearing the end of their careers. Let's have a look at this conversation on March 1, 2026. If Jimmy is balling out, the Warriors are in the top 2 in the West, then you can make a case, otherwise no freaking way.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

The man has burned a bridge with every team he has left. It will happen in Golden State too. A zebra can’t change its stripes.

I wish him well but unless he develops humility in the span of a year, I don't see how the Warriors aren't going through it next year as well unless they just open up the pocketbook for him. Which they might just do, if they go far in the postseason and Steph signs off on it.

They already either extended or promised Butler for 2 years/111 mils.

Jimmy had this year and an option for next year. He wanted to add 2 more years to that, so 4 years total (this year, next year, another year, and another year with option).

GSW renegotiated it to be another 1+1 (this year, next year, option the year after that). So at this time next year, he'll be in the same situation he was in with Miami this year (the remainder of the year and an option year).

Reportedly the Suns were going to give him the 2 extra years he wanted, but could not work out a deal with Miami that didn't involve Beal, so Jimmy had to accept GSW, who only gave him 1 extra year.

[OxAndFox]

I wish him well but unless he develops humility in the span of a year, I don't see how the Warriors aren't going through it next year as well unless they just open up the pocketbook for him. Which they might just do, if they go far in the postseason and Steph signs off on it.

They already either extended or promised Butler for 2 years/111 mils.

Jimmy had this year and an option for next year. He wanted to add 2 more years to that, so 4 years total (this year, next year, another year, and another year with option).

GSW renegotiated it to be another 1+1 (this year, next year, option the year after that). So at this time next year, he'll be in the same situation he was in with Miami this year (the remainder of the year and an option year).

Reportedly the Suns were going to give him the 2 extra years he wanted, but could not work out a deal with Miami that didn't involve Beal, so Jimmy had to accept GSW, who only gave him 1 extra year.

I think he is extension eligible after next season. The 2 years are 2025/26 and 2026/27.