With just over a week until the NBA trade deadline, Jimmy Butler's time with the Miami Heat appears to be coming to an end. As the six-time All-Star forward's standoff with the franchise continues, a Heat legend believes team president Pat Riley shares in plenty of the blame for the relationship falling apart.
Tim Hardaway, who played from the Heat from 1996 to '01 and has his No. 10 retired by the franchise, thinks Riley gave Butler too much of the leeway that is now being cited in the string of suspensions that the franchise has handed down to its star in January.
"That's Pat's damn fault, to me," Hardaway said on The Draymond Green Show. "You let him fly on his own private jet to different places and he'll meet the team for shootarounds. You let that stuff get out of hand."
"If it don't benefit the Heat, Pat is not gonna do it."@hardawaysr reveals why Jimmy Butler might not be traded from the Miami Heat. pic.twitter.com/rdjvLUwaDy
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) January 29, 2025
Not all of the blame lies with Riley, though, according to Hardaway. He believes that Butler has made the situation more difficult on himself by not consistently showing up for the team.
"[Butler] deserves his money, but you can't play 60% of the games. You gotta understand, Pat is in the driver seat. We don't have to trade you, and you're still under contract. I understand you want to get traded, but you still gotta go out there and not jeopardize games. If it don't benefit the Heat, Pat is not gonna do it. And Jimmy just gotta go out there and play, and if you want a trade, it will happen."
Green's Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers have recently been cited as potential landing spots for Butler, while the Phoenix Suns have been the most frequently pitched destination. The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 6.
More of the Latest Around the NBA
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Heat Legend Explains Why Pat Riley Is to Blame for Jimmy Butler Situation .
