“Am I in That?”: Jaime Jaquez Jr. Describes His First Reaction Upon Learning About Jimmy Butler Trade Mid-Game

Leading up to Jimmy Butler’s eventual acquisition by the Golden State Warriors, no one knew where the six-time All-Star would end up or who would be moved with him. Miami didn’t have to part ways with any other player on their roster, but Jaime Jaquez Jr. questioned whether he’d be on his way out of South Beach when he first heard the news.

Jaquez found out about the trade when fans sitting behind him while he was on the bench mid-game yelled about winning the trade. When he asked what they meant, the cheered, “Jimmy [Butler] to the Warriors! Jimmy to the Warriors!”

While the unusual news source obviously shocked Jaquez with that info, the 24-year-old’s first thought was, “Am I in that?” he recalled. This was a first-time experience for the second-year guard, but other members of the Heat soon confirmed the news.

It was a shock to the system for Butler’s teammates, despite expecting his exit. Jaquez recalled how the team had to regroup in the halftime locker room and focus on the task at hand rather than dwell on Butler’s departure.

Now a couple of weeks removed from the blockbuster deal, the Heat have begun to move on from their former leader. Bam Adebayo discussed how the team has operated since Butler’s move to Oakland.

Bam Adebayo believes in what the Heat are building now

Miami will go through a transition phase. They only acquired mediocre assets for Butler in Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, as they don’t exactly move the needle for a playoff-hopeful team.

Adebayo recently mentioned that the team has started to gain more belief in themselves after a disappointing spell following the trade. The Heat has now won two-straight, which has provided an apparent morale boost.

“When you go out and get wins like this… you start to get faith, that’s when everyone starts to get that belief…” Adebayo said following Miami’s close victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Sitting at 28-30 and seventh in the Eastern Conference, the Heat still have work to do in order to solidify their playoff standing. Considering Adebayo’s words of optimism, though, Miami may be able to accomplish their goals even without Jimmy Butler.