Heat players have mixed emotions on Jimmy Butler drama: 'Feels weird to not see him'

The message behind the Miami Heat suspending Jimmy Butler for seven games was clear even if personal sentiments may vary: The main thing remains the main thing, with or without the six-time All-Star in the lineup.

Of course, it’s hard to stand firm on that after Saturday’s 136-100 loss to the Utah Jazz, but the team’s energy before the defeat was mostly that of a group trying to drown out the drama. The Heat’s 36-point loss to the NBA’s fifth-worst team over the weekend marked their third-largest home defeat in the last two decades and kept them hovering around .500 as a melancholy cloud hangs over the franchise’s head.

Beyond the scoreboard, Miami’s energy has been impacted by Butler’s trade request. The team has tried to distance itself from its festering impasse with the 35-year-old forward, who expressed displeasure about his contract status, team role and lost joy for playing basketball. Last month, Pat Riley announced via a team statement he had no intentions of trading Butler despite the latter’s desire to be dealt, but the Heat reversed course Friday when announcing Butler’s suspension and stating an openness to listen to offers.

Before Saturday’s forgetful performance, the vibes around Miami were positive yet awkward as the Heat once again found themselves without one of their premier players — and this time, the adjustment could be permanent. Team captain Bam Adebayo and veteran guard Terry Rozier spoke to media after Saturday’s morning shootaround, toeing a fine line between acknowledging the obvious tension and leaving Butler’s friction between him and the front office.

“I mean, s—, you live with what happens,” Adebayo said about the possibility of Butler being traded. “We’re worried about what we can control, and we can’t control that. That’s up to the management and him. That is their decision. That’s them communicating with him, and, for us, we still gotta go out and play games, so we’re gonna worry about that.”

The three-time All-Star explained that concerns about Butler’s future are “none of our business” and that ups and downs in the NBA are part of any player’s career, so the key is to remain “locked in and competing at a high level.” Despite last week’s theatrics, Adebayo doesn’t believe his responsibilities as a team leader are any different than at other points of his career, though he understands the layers of Butler’s displeasure while maintaining focus on Miami’s bigger picture.

“I feel like he came to work, he tried to perform and it just didn’t go his way,” Adebayo said of Butler’s two-game return after a 13-day absence because of illness. “I feel like he didn’t wanna be in the corner, but we developed a system where we play around everybody, and we just had to figure out how to incorporate him. But that’s what happened yesterday. We focus on who’s with us now.”

Adebayo said he hadn’t spoken to Butler since the suspension was announced. He did not speak to the media after Saturday’s loss.

Rozier described the issues surrounding Miami as tough, echoing Adebayo’s sentiments of focusing on the players the Heat have available and chalking up the external chatter as simply “noise.”

“It wasn’t no direct message, but just to keep our spirits high,” Rozier said about thoughts he’s recently conveyed to teammates. “And we got a great locker room. We got guys like (Kevin) Love, who’s always keeping guys on their toes and making guys laugh. We got a lot of great guys in there, so we move on and find out what’s best.”

Both players more willingly addressed the Butler beef than Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who refused to speak about the 2023 Eastern Conference finals MVP and allowed the team’s latest round of statements to “stand on their own.”

“I know there’s been a lot the last 48 hours that has happened,” Spoelstra said. “Terry and Bam have talked about it. … We wanna quiet all the distractions. Enough has been said. We have clarity, and we’re just going to focus on this group in the locker room. That’s what I want them to focus on — quiet the noise as much as possible. I’m not a clickbait-type of coach, so you’re not going to get anything else really from me. We have a task to do.”

As Miami prepares for a six-game road trip, it’s impossible not to watch the clock and expect another shoe to drop, whether it’s Butler being traded, him somehow — and possibly inelegantly — returning to the team or matters being further strained by two distinctly strong egos further clashing. But while people around the team are understandably ready to be done with the discord, not everyone is eager to see Butler’s days in Miami end.

“It’s weird,” Nikola Jović told The Athletic. “We’re like family now. We’re really close. It just feels weird to not see him around. Of course, he’s the hardest-working guy and the most competitive guy I’ve ever met. But at this point, we’re trying to find our rhythm, and he’s trying to find his joy back, so it’s pretty weird.”

At 21, Jović, who is in his third NBA season, is one of the younger players on Miami’s roster. He has grown into the rotation in recent weeks, averaging over 25 minutes in nine appearances after registering nine DNPs in a 10-game stretch earlier this season. He credits Butler for routinely being honest with him, even if the young forward says Butler’s candid approach isn’t for everyone.

Jović remembers how Butler influenced him and kept him encouraged while balancing time with the Heat and G League assignments on the Sioux Falls Skyforce, comparing Butler’s impact on him to that of a big brother. When asked if he and Butler have spoken during the drama, Jović says they’ve communicated, but basketball hasn’t been a subject because they’ve grown to bond beyond the game.

“I don’t know how I would feel [about Butler being traded],” Jović said. “I’m new to all this trade speculation and everything, so I don’t know how it looks. I still won’t believe it until it happens. Of course, I would love if he could stay with us and if we could make it work because you don’t want to lose good people that are around you. He’s for sure one of the realest and best dudes I’ve ever met.”

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(Editors note: Heat Today will not appear the rest of the week because of some vacation time. We will return next Monday. Thank you for reading and supporting!)

(Top photo: Stephen Gosling / Getty Images)