When it comes to outside opinions regarding the Miami Heat, arguably nobody’s thoughts carry more weight than Dwyane Wade. The Heat recently unveiled a statue of the Hall of Famer earlier this season— stamping his status as the greatest player in franchise history. And the legendary guard recently addressed the departure of Jimmy Butler.
Wade played 13 seasons for Miami and built up quite the impressive resume. He became a 13X All-Star, 8X All-NBA talent, and was a crucial part to all three of the franchise’s championships.
Part of his iconic status as a member of the Heat featured his elite recruiting skills, which included bringing Butler aboard.
Butler and Wade were teammates for one season with the Chicago Bulls during the 2016-17 campaign.
The two stars built a close relationship both on and off the court, and Wade vouched for the fit between the gritty Butler and infamous “Heat Culture.” Despite Wade playing a major part in Miami’s acquisition of Butler in 2019, the ending was not what everybody envisioned.
Once firm on his goals of retiring a member of the Heat, Butler’s departure prior to this year’s trade deadline was as sloppy as it could’ve possibly been. Wade appeared on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, and discussed the messy divorce between the Heat and Butler.
"I understand it. But I hate the PR game that's been played. What Jimmy did in Miami, not a lot of players is going to put on that Jersey is going to be able to accomplish. He didn't do it by himself, as the leader of that team is the best player, what he did there not many players that will put that jersey on would be able to do that. So for the legacy of the Miami Heat Organization, I hope one day he can come back and sit courtside and we can all sit there and laugh and joke. But also too, Jimmy may not ever come back."Dwyane Wade
Of course, Butler willed Miami to a plethora of underdog success during his time in South Beach— including two trips to the NBA Finals and one Eastern Conference finals in a four-year span. He appeared in six seasons total as a member of the Heat, giving the fanbase a plethora of postseason memories that will never be forgotten.
He holds the record for the most points scored in a playoff game in franchise history (56) and carried the team when it mattered the most.
Many will view Butler as a top-three Heat player of all-time, behind the likes of Wade himself and LeBron James. And that notion is more than fair, considering he accomplished the most with less better than anybody else has ever done for the organization.
Ultimately, money got in the way of Butler properly ending his legendary Heat tenure the right way.
Pat Riley refused to offer the 35-year-old the max contract extension that he felt he rightfully deserved. After that, endless stories and rumors behind the scenes continued to circulate and put a cloud over the team’s entire 2024-25 season. Now he has looked like a legitimate needle mover once again as a new member of the Golden State Warriors, going 13-1 in Butler’s first 14 games played on his new team.
Will the Heat ever reconcile the broken relationship with Butler in the future? That could be a toss up, especially as long as Riley is still around.