The Miami Heat’s chaotic 2024-25 season was headlined by Jimmy Butler’s trade demands. For a team that had championship expectations heading into the new campaign, Butler threw a huge curveball in those plans. By this year’s trade deadline, the former Heat franchise star finally got his wish.
He was shipped to the Golden State Warriors, paving a way for a new role as a complementary co-star alongside Stephen Curry.
Not too long after the trade was finalized, the Warriors handed Butler the lucrative three-year $146 million max contract extension that he desired. The honeymoon phase looked encouraging, as Golden State surged up the Western Conference standings upon his arrival. They finished the season with a 23-7 record with their newly acquired star in the lineup.
But then the postseason came around, and it didn’t take long before the Warriors faced adversity. Butler suffered a hard fall early on in their playoff run that kept him out for one game. Although he returned quickly to their lineup, he wasn’t at 100%.
Then in Game 1 of the second round against the Timberwolves, Curry sustained a hamstring strain and didn't retun to the series.
That's when the Warriors needed Butler the most, and he did not rise to the occasion.
"Playoff Jimmy" was a no-show for the Warriors.
Jimmy Butler averaged 15.5 points and only attempted 10 field goals per game in the Warriors' final two playoff games as Golden State fell to Minnesota in a five-game series.
Butler looked banged up and passive offensively, something the Heat grew accustomed to in his final two seasons in Miami.
He is still capable of being a legitimate game changer on a team with championship hopes, but only when he feels like doing so. He did score 33 points on a masterful 12 of 26 shooting in Game 3 against Minnesota, but that was his lone "Playoff Jimmy" moment of the series.
After falling behind 2-1 following that loss, Butler left his new squad desiring more while on the brink of elimination. These offensive inconsistencies, along with the injury history and mileage, are critical to Pat Riley’s reasoning for moving on from the aging star.
Despite Butler’s incredibly high basketball IQ, his bully-ball ways of attacking the basket and forcing his way to the free-throw line have not aged well. He's soon to be 36, and Riley knew that it could limit the Heat if they committed rich financial resources to an aging Butler.
Guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Curry all have the ability to spread the floor and be highly efficient outside shooters in the twilight of their careers. Unfortunately for Butler, that’s not the case for him.
As some Heat fans were playing checkers in vouching for a Butler extension, Riley was playing chess. This latest turn proves why he was right not to extend Butler, and ultimately turn the page on the era.