When Jimmy Butler did eventually arrive to Miami Heat media day on Monday, he did his best to diffuse any speculation about his status with the team and unresolved contract situation.
“I just want to play basketball and want to be available, like Pat was talking about,” Butler said after arriving a few hours late to media day because of mechanical issues involving a flight back from Paris. “I plan on being that… and making everybody happy… . I’m here. Normal hair. No shenanigans.”
Butler entered the summer seeking to negotiate a contract extension that would have turned the two years and $101.2 million remaining on his contract to a three-year, $161.7 million deal.
However, Riley shot down the notion of an extension during his end-of-season press conference, during which he challenged Butler to be more available before the Heat would entertain a long-term commitment.
“Guess I got to hoop, got to prove that I am a major part of winning and rightfully so,” Butler said. “I’ve done it before and this is no different. This is going to be a great year for myself. This is going to be a great year for the group of guys we have. That will take care of itself whenever that time comes.”
Here are six more notable quotes from Miami’s media day.
1. Going into his sixth season coaching Butler, Erik Spoelstra anticipates a breakthrough.
"When you get to that many years together, there's a lot of unspoken understanding," Spoelstra said. "He's at a point now where he needs me to really coach this team at a high level. He needs me to coach him at a high level and push him to higher levels. And I need him to be at his highest level as a player and a leader."
There will be plenty of attention on Butler this season. Butler, who turned 35 this month, is coming off a listless regular season that ended with a knee injury and a first-round exit to the Boston Celtics.
After the season, Riley challenged Butler to be more available before committing to Butler with a long-term contract. Butler can be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines a $52.4 million player option.
Butler, who averaged 20.8 points last season, may need a bounce-back season to prove he’s still a maximum-level player in time for his next contract.
"He's in a good place coming into camp,” Spoelstra said. “He's prepared himself. We were in contact. What I said in the last meeting was about this opportunity.”
2. Spoelstra wouldn’t go so far as to name his expected starting lineup, but he did mention he’d like to see Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo on the court more this season.
“I’m not going to give you headlines about starting lineup or rotation but I am intentional about seeing what Terry, Tyler, Bam, Jimmy looks like,” Spoelstra said. “We have to see how that group can complement each other and lift this whole group up.”
Those four played 118 minutes over 10 games together last season. Rozier, after arriving in a mid-season trade from the Charlotte Hornets, did not log much time next to the Heat’s cornerstone players.
It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to assume Spoelstra plans to start that group with a fifth spot open for competition between Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith and perhaps rookie Kel’el Ware.
3. Spoelstra said everybody is healthy and will be ready to go for training camp except for Josh Richardson.
Richardson will be a partial participant but isn’t ready for full contact as he continues to rehab from last season’s shoulder injury. Rozier, who had his season ended by a neck injury, is “ready to go.”
4. After finishing in the bottom 10 in ORTG last season, Spoelstra said the Heat need to “innovate” to improve.
“We need to innovate,” Spoelstra said. “We need to do some things subtly better. There has to be some sophistication, some added new innovation to bring out the best in everybody. We have offensive talent everywhere you look. It should be a group that brings out a higher level.”
5. When asked about his 3-point shooting, Adebayo said, “Spacing the floor makes life easier for Jimmy, Terry, Tyler to get to the basket. Makes it easier for drive and kicks.
Adebayo, who averaged 1.5 3s over the final 20 games of last season and willingly shot them during his tour in the Olympics, has been open about wanting to stretch his game beyond the arc.
6. Asked if he would accept a return to a bench role, Tyler Herro took a team-first approach with his answer.
“Whatever they say I am, I am,” Herro said. “We are going to let the best coach in the league decide and one of best GMs ever to decide... I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win a championship.”
That’s a much different tone than the one Herro has struck in the past, when he’s used these opportunities to stress his status as an NBA starter. Herro even went so far as to say he’s entering this season with “an agenda.” That his goal isn’t to score “25 a game” and that he anticipates playing more off the ball.
Herro: "Last year I was coming in like I'm trying to score 25 a game... This year, I just want to be myself. I'm not here to push any agendas, All-Star or anything like that."
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) September 30, 2024
Herro added that he’s gone from 189 pounds to 201 in an effort to get stronger and more durable.
“Heaviest I’ve come into camp in my career,” Herro said. “Trying to keep the weight on and stay healthy, I think that will help being more durable, having a little bigger frame.”