Jimmy Butler's time with the Miami Heat has reached a breaking point with his suspension. The Heats are open to trading Butler, but former Heat player Quentin Richardson lowered expectations of a deal to his preferred destinations during a Sunday appearance on "SportsCenter."
Richardson believes that long-serving Miami Heat president Pat Riley will not send Jimmy Butler to any of his favorite destinations. The Heat would rather do what's best for them as an organization than strengthen a rival.
“To be honest, I don’t see the Heat sending him to either one of those places, man,” Richardson said Sunday on "SportsCenter."
“I don’t know where he will end up. ... I know it will be in the best interests of the Heat, knowing the way Pat Riley moves, but I really doubt that he’ll go to one of those great destinations like Phoenix or Golden State where he’ll have a chance to win in that way, right away.”
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
Jimmy Butler was suspended by the Miami Heat for seven games. Additionally, the Heat finally agreed to a trade for their star player after Pat Riley had initially shut down trade rumors in a statement released by the franchise.
The punishment was meted out after Butler spoke to the press about his desire to get traded and find his happiness back. The statement didn't go down well with the organization as Miami termed his behavior "detrimental to the team."
The situation took another turn when the National Basketball Players Association stated that they would be challenging the suspension. The suspension is expected to cost Butler $2.35 million for the seven games missed, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
NBA analyst gives his take on Jimmy Butler-Miami Heat saga
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are ready for a separation after six seasons. NBA analyst for ESPN Brian Windhorst, on "SportsCenter" on Sunday, asserted that the Heat "don't like their hand right now at all" as he sees a lot of teams testing how low they can get Butler.
"Right now, I think you're seeing a lot of teams testing just how low they might be able to buy Jimmy Butler for," Brian Windhorst said. "The one exception to that would be the Phoenix Suns."
With things getting heated, some Miami Heat fans vented their frustration at Butler with a disrespectful mural. Butler had earlier posted a cryptic message on his Instagram Story.
Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.