Pat Riley Sends Strong Message to Jimmy Butler on Friday
The 2024–25 Miami Heat season will be remembered more for the drama than the basketball. Star forward Jimmy Butler was suspended three times for "conduct detrimental to the team" and for "intentionally withholding services," a situation that quickly spiraled into a full-blown distraction.
Tension had been building since the offseason, when Butler didn't receive the contract extension he wanted from team president Pat Riley. From that point on, the relationship between Butler and the organization seemed beyond repair.
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Meanwhile, the constant lineup changes left the rest of the roster scrambling to find consistency on a nightly basis.
Riley ended up trading Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the NBA trade deadline in a deal that brought the Heat Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell (via the Toronto Raptors), and a first-round pick.
On Friday, Riley spoke to the media and had a message for Butler, saying he wishes him well and hopes "deep down in his heart somewhere, he wishes us well too."
"I've been through those kinds of situations before, even with this team, a couple times, uh, and so it's over," Riley said. "He's done. I wish him well, good luck to him, and I hope deep down in his heart somewhere, he wishes us well too."
Miami Heat president Pat Riley and Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler.© Jim Rassol | © Bruce Kluckhohn
Without Butler, the Heat limped to the end of the regular season as the No. 10 seed, but managed to claw their way into the playoffs as the No. 8 after winning both Play-In Tournament games. Their run didn't last long—the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the first round.
Butler and the Warriors are now tied 1-1 in a second-round playoff series.
Related: Jimmy Butler, Buddy Hield Send Stern Warning to Wolves Fans After Game 1 Antics
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