The saga between the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler grows more sour by the day. It was reported earlier this week by NBA insider Jake Fischer that Butler frequently skipped multiple shootarounds and requested private flights instead of traveling with the Heat’s charter.
This report aligns with sentiments that Butler’s effort was lacking right before he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. The timing of this report is peculiar, coming after reports revealed that a face-to-face meeting between Heat president Pat Riley and Butler failed to change his stance.
It was also noted that when Thomas Bryant and Josh Richardson were brought in last season to help the team, Butler believed there would never be a winning roster with which he could compete before his career ended.
This morning, NBA insider Chris B. Haynes reported that Butler’s request for a separate flight was warranted.
“I was told in the last five years, Jimmy [Butler] took fewer than five separate flights from the team, and four of them were during the Finals against Denver when his father was sick.”
It seems that Jimmy Butler’s team can also ensure reports from reliable sources circulate in the media so his version of the story is heard correctly. I don’t believe Miami will try to portray Butler as the problem again after his prompt indirect response through reports.
The NBA trade deadline is about three weeks away, and Miami may want to start making calls before their back is against the wall, potentially losing their best player and receiving nothing in return.
