The inevitable divorce between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat is right around the corner. His messy trade demands haven’t been a good look for anybody involved in the organization, but team president Pat Riley has played just as big of a part in this split as Butler.
The main reason behind the ending partnership is the financial aspect, as Riley has refrained from offering a max extension to the Heat star. Additionally, the public disrespect shown by demanding Butler to "keep his mouth shut" during last year's end-of-season press conference has not helped the situation.
Another significant issue has been Riley’s ongoing failure to strengthen the team's core.
"(Pat Riley) has absolutely failed over the last decade in a way that can not be argued to get Jimmy Butler better help that he needed...Heat fans are mad and they should be." – Dan
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 6, 2025
WATCH: https://t.co/IRBsQAFsj0 pic.twitter.com/w0kjYbGVae
For years it has seemed like the Heat were always one piece away. Unfortunately, Riley never got that piece.
In recent weeks, ESPN's Shams Charania’s reporting has also repeated this same notion between Butler and Riley, which stated that he has been unhappy with the Heat president’s inability to obtain help. “The last three summers Jimmy urged them to make moves”, Charania said. “Celtics went and got Jrue and Kristaps Porzingis… the Heat didn’t get anyone.”
As teams like the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks have done their job in improving their respective rosters, the Heat have stayed put. Considering that Miami has been able to take down all of those squads come postseason, some even multiple times, it has been painful for the fanbase to sit back and watch their rivals continue to get better.
The “run it back” method has always been questionable from the get go, considering that the build has been just games away from securing a title not once, but twice. Their overachieving success has resulted in two NBA Finals berths and an Eastern Conference finals in a five-year span. Riley’s stubbornness and complacency over the years may have cost the Heat, and Butler, a championship. Let’s go over the biggest instances of this case.
1. Missing out on James Harden
Back in 2021, James Harden was in the midst of his own messy split with the Houston Rockets. The former MVP had demanded out, and reportedly had Miami near the top of his preferred destinations. However, it was rumored that Riley questioned the fit between Harden and the Heat Culture.
Ultimately, he found his way to another preferred destination of his in the Brooklyn Nets. But this was a clear fumble by Riley and the front office, as Harden’s game has aged beautifully as he has gotten older. He could’ve provided elite ball handling and playmaking skills to create a legitimate All-Star caliber core four alongside Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Adebayo’s growth especially would’ve benefited from a true offensive coordinator to get him easier looks close to the basket.
2. Kevin Durant lists Miami as his preferred destination
Following the Heat’s heartbreaking 2022 Eastern Conference finals run that came up just short, they were linked to several stars that could’ve instantly helped get them over the hump. The biggest one was Kevin Durant, who also had Miami as a preferred destination after requesting a trade out of Brooklyn.
A Durant arrival would’ve gone down as the greatest acquisition in franchise history outside of LeBron James. He is a two-time champion, Finals MVP and league MVP, among a plethora of All-Star and All-NBA nods. Although Durant has bounced around a few teams during his career, there has been no one better as a true plug-and-play talent that would flourish in any system.
Miami’s known offensive struggles would’ve instantly been fixed with an all-time scoring talent in Durant. The team’s elite defense provided the perfect balance to make his fit seamless. Instead, he wound up playing a few months out in Brooklyn until eventually being shipped to the Phoenix Suns at the following year’s trade deadline— who seemed to be much more aggressive in their pursuit than Miami.
3. Damian Lillard tries to force his way to Miami
The start of Miami’s downfall took place when they fumbled the chance of bringing Damian Lillard to South Beach. Lillard shook free from a rebuilding situation with the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2023, requesting a trade specifically to the reigning Eastern Conference champion Heat.
His superstar talents as an elite scorer and a noted top 75 player of all-time would have been enough to be that overdue missing piece. It was also the last chance Riley had to add that help for Butler before things started to continuously turn sour for the franchise. It was an addition that Butler made known to the front office that he would’ve welcomed with open arms.
Unfortunately, an entire summer of hard ball between negotiations with Riley and the Blazers manager Joe Cronin reached a dead end. Neither side were willing to budge on offers and thus saw Lillard land with the rival Bucks.