Jimmy Butler prefers trade out of Miami

Beyond the contract, other issues also have led to Jimmy Butler’s increasing ambivalence toward remaining with Miami. A source said that Butler was caught off guard when Riley, during a May news conference, scolded him for saying that “Boston would be at home” and “New York damn sure would be [expletive] at home” if Butler had been healthy for Miami’s five-game first-round playoff playoff loss against the Celtics, which he missed because of a knee injury. “For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling, or is that Jimmy serious?’” Riley said during his end-of-season press conference. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut.” According to a source, Butler was also disappointed that the Heat did not publicly deny a Dec. 10 ESPN report that Miami was open to trading him. -via Miami Herald / December 25, 2024