In a press conference following the Miami Heat's 128–115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler expressed that he's currently not enjoying playing basketball for the franchise. And Butler, who informed the Heat he would like to be traded, seemingly was frustrated by an "implication" that team officials reportedly made.
Butler, in his first game back from an illness after a 13-day absence, scored nine points and shot the ball just five times in a 119–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Team officials implied that Butler wasn't playing his hardest in that game, which helped lead the disgruntled forward to request a trade, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN.
Butler seemed to address the issue directly while speaking to reporters after Thursday's game.
"I'm going out there to compete either way; whether I score nine points or 29 points, I will compete," Butler said. "You won't say I'm not out there playing hard. It may look like that because my usage is down and I don't shoot the ball a lot, but [you can't say] I'm not playing hard."
Butler has been the subject of trade rumors recently, especially since December 15, when the majority of free agents signed in the offseason became eligible to be traded. Days earlier, Charania first reported that the Heat star could be on the move.
Butler's agent and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra both denied the verity of the trade rumors and this past week, team president Pat Riley, in a statement, firmly said that the club would not be trading Butler.
But the star's request and recent comments seem to indicate a staredown between Butler and the notoriously shrewd Riley.
Butler ruffled Riley's feathers last spring when, after missing the Heat's first-round playoff series loss against the eventual-champion Boston Celtics, said in an interview that Miami would have been victorious had he played. Riley, in an end-of-season news conference, took issue with Butler's comments, saying, "If you're not on the court playing, you should keep your mouth shut."
It's not clear whether Butler's trade request changes the Heat's plans. The star forward is reportedly open to playing for any team other than the Heat, reports Charania.
Butler is earning $49 million this season in the final year of his contract after the team announced this offseason they would not be extending his contract. Butler has a $52 million player option for next season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Heat's 'Implication' Led to Jimmy Butler's Trade Request.
