Jimmy Butler drama developments include barista, whether Riley is 'washed' and Heat finding their way

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Jan 10, 2025

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PORTLAND, Ore. — If the thought was that the second week of Jimmy Butler’s seven-game team suspension would quiet the outside noise regarding the Miami Heat forward, that hardly appears to be the case.

At 2-2 since the team issued the unpaid sanction for “conduct detrimental to the team,” the Heat continue their six-game western swing on Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center, coming off Thursday night’s 97-92 victory over the Utah Jazz at Delta Center.

With Butler missing his 14th game of the season Thursday, the Heat improved to 7-7 in his absence, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. starting in his place against the Jazz and closing with 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a late, game-deciding 3-pointer.

For their part, teammates have moved beyond the conjecture of what might come next with Butler, who is scheduled to return from his suspension next Friday against the Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center, unless he is traded in the interim.

The Heat, in issuing their suspension last week, concluded their statement with, “Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”

Before each game during the suspension, the Heat have made clear that coach Erik Spoelstra would not be discussing the status of Butler, who has been working out at Kaseya Center with assistant coach Octavio De La Grana, among others.

Without being asked about Butler by name, guard Tyler Herro was asked after Thursday night’s victory about moving forward without a prime component of the rotation. Herro responded without mentioning Butler by name.

“I mean, we’ve been playing like with this group for a while now, for about two weeks, besides the two games he didn’t play,” Herro said, with Butler having returned from a five-game absence in a pair of listless performances last week that contributed to the suspension.

In Butler’s absence, players such as Jaquez and Nikola Jovic have stepped up to attempt to help fill the void.

“That’s what we do since I’ve been here,” said Herro, who led the Heat with 23 points against the Jazz. “Those guys are all very, very capable.”

Against the backdrop of the Heat pushing through on the road has been the unsettled drama with Butler.

That included Butler’s ongoing work at his BigFace coffee shop in Miami, where the passive-aggression seemingly continued, as captured in a social-media post that very much appeared to reference his standoff with Heat President Pat Riley and the team’s front office.

Standing with one of the store’s baristas, Butler said, “This is our best guy right here. See that? See that? I gave him a compliment. That’s what bosses do. We build you up, not break you down.”

Butler’s standoff has come in the wake of the Heat declining to offer Butler the extension he had sought and then stating there would not be a trade to sate the six-time All-Star, a stance that was reversed a week later.

As Butler remains away from the team, Riley has been taking in Butler’s workouts at Kaseya Center. That has come with Miami media personality Dan LeBatard releasing a podcast with Riley that was recorded several weeks before the latest contretemps with Butler.

Among the snippets from that extended interview that largely focused on Riley’s career was one that dealt with the social-media reactions of the Celtics winning last season’s championship, with some referring to Riley as “washed.”

“Whoever’s saying that I haven’t read it, because I’m not on any social media site and I don’t care,” Riley said during the interview. “I’ve had my ass kicked by the Celtics enough when I was coaching, and they’re a great team.

“I don’t worry about what critics say, because maybe I am? Maybe I should go somewhere and just put my feet up. But I would then become obsessive about doing something else.”

Riley is in his 30th season with the team, with the Heat this season naming the court at Kaseya Center in his honor.

On a recent podcast, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony chimed in on Butler v. Heat and Riley.

“This ain’t the Jimmy that I know. Something’s going on with Jimmy,” Anthony said. “The best thing to do is part ways. This is going to get ugly because Jimmy’s not a guy that’s going to back down.”