Jimmy Butler suspended 7 games by Heat for ‘conduct detrimental to team’

On By Littum

The Miami Heat have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team” and announced they are “listening to offers” for the All-Star forward eight days after team president Pat Riley publicly said the team ” will not trade” Butler.

“Through his actions and statements, he has demonstrated that he no longer wishes to be a part of this team,” the Heat wrote in a statement to players on Friday. “Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated they want to be traded, so we will listen to offers.”

The decision marks the latest turning point in an apparently eroding relationship. After Miami’s 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 2, just days after returning to the Heat after a five-game absence, Butler said he lost the joy of playing basketball and was willing to restore it “wherever that will be.” Asked if that joy could be restored in Miami, Butler said “probably not.”

Shortly after, a league source confirmed an ESPN report that Butler informed the Heat of his desire to be traded to any other NBA team before the league’s February 6 trade deadline.

In the two games preceding Butler’s suspension, he had a total of 11 shot attempts while averaging nine points in just over 25 minutes per game. match. He did not log a single minute in the fourth quarter of either game. The 35-year-old forward is on pace to finish behind teammates Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo in usage rate for the second straight season, marking a continued shift in his place in Miami’s hierarchy as the Heat have relied on the latter two to be more offensive. responsibility.

“That may be my role here, but it’s not what I’m used to.” Butler said Thursday of his declining spending. “I haven’t been since, I don’t know, my first, second, third year in the league, just going out and playing defense. But I competed – I guarded and tried not to let my man score. That’s what I do now.”

The two sides were unable to negotiate a contract extension after last season, prompting the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP to decide to sit out the 2024-25 season and express a desire to opt out of the final year of his current contract, which would pay off. him $52.4 million. Butler has until this summer to decide on that option, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent and sign with the Heat or a new team.

Butler has appeared in 22 of the Heat’s 32 games this season, meaning he has missed at least 10 games in each of his five-plus seasons with the Heat. When Butler has played, Miami has a 12-10 record compared to a 5-3 mark when he has sat out. With the five-time All-NBA selection on the court this season, the team has a plus-4.3 net rating, according to NBA.com. When he has been either benched or outright unavailable to play, Miami is outscored by 0.4 points per 100 possessions.

This story will be updated.

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(Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)