"To think that the Heat would've been open to trading Jimmy after their run to the NBA Finals in 2023 is pretty hard to believe. Because I can't imagine Riley and this front office would've punted after being that close to a championship. However, I could've also pointed to how bad things were - or were getting - behind the scenes between Jimmy and the Heat. Either way, this revelation, assuming it is true, is pretty shocking."
""You know Pat shopped him after they got to the Finals. You know that, right? He was done with it. They shopped him. They couldn't find anything. This was after the 2022-23 season. How would the fans have reacted after he dragged them to the Finals?""
"Perhaps the biggest surprise from this unearthing is the fact that Riley couldn't find a deal for Jimmy. That, more than anything, makes you wonder just how much the Heat were actually willing to trade Jimmy at the time. In theory, Jimmy, at the height of his powers after that surprising 2023 run to the NBA Finals, should've had plenty of suitors. And if the Heat did genuinely want to trade him, they could've had their options. For one reason or another, Riley (and the Heat's front office) couldn't find the right deal."
Pat Riley and the Miami Heat explored trading Jimmy Butler immediately after the 2022-23 season and the team's run to the NBA Finals. The front office reportedly shopped Butler but was unable to secure a deal despite Butler's elevated trade value and presumed suitors. The failure to find a trade raises questions about how far the Heat were willing to go in negotiations and about behind-the-scenes tensions between Butler and the organization. The revelation surprised many fans given Butler's role in the Finals run. The Heat ultimately traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors before the 2025 trade deadline.
Read at All U Can Heat
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