Fresh off an appearance in the 2023 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat disappointingly fell way short of their goals after losing to the Boston Celtics in five games in the first round. Part of that might have been due to Jimmy Butler’s knee injury, who didn’t appear in the series.
It’s what Butler did while sidelined that seems to have ruffled the wrong feathers in South Beach.
On Monday, during his season-ending press conference, Heat president Pat Riley gave his take on Miami’s year and what might happen next for the organization. When it came to discussing Butler’s antics while trolling the Celtics, Riley sounded very annoyed, to put it lightly:
"If you're not on the court playing, you should keep your mouth shut."
Pat Riley on Jimmy Butler 👀
(via @Local10Sports) pic.twitter.com/P3JJpV8fI1
— Overtime (@overtime) May 6, 2024
To be fair, Riley probably has a point. Unless you’re actually playing, there’s no need to fan the flames for a competitive playoff rival. I probably wouldn’t have said this in public, though, so it’s worth noting that Riley did. He’s been around the block before with star players.
This sentiment is especially notable in the context of a discussion that centered around Butler’s future, who has two years left on his contract with the Heat. Despite any rumors to the contrary, it doesn’t seem like Miami and Riley are quite ready to move on:
Pat Riley on any trade for Jimmy Butler:
“No.”
He adds, “There’s a possibility that a lot of things are on the table.”
Riley on if Jimmy is still a 1A player:
“Yes. But just like anyone else. He may need to make some changes in his overload routine.”
— Will Manso (@WillManso) May 6, 2024
What this all sounds like to me is that Riley wants his franchise player to just carry himself more like a franchise player. It’s probably not to the point that he would sever ties with Butler, but who knows?