Jimmy Butler’s relationship with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat front office is virtually non-existent. So much so that he uses suspensions, handed by the franchise, to do things that could potentially add to the fire. Talking about suspensions, he has had three over the past six weeks. And, during his second (two games for missing a flight to Milwaukee), he had some time at hand to chill with comedian Andrew Schulz at the draft event for the Reserve Cup padel tournament in Miami on January 22.
Advertisement
Butler was all smiles at the event, seemingly unaffected by the suspension. He was possibly giving another signal to the Heat Front Office. Schulz, later, took to his Brilliant Idiots podcast to shed some light on the interaction he had with the Heat star. Of course, he kept the intricacies of their conversation under wraps. Understandably so, given the controversy around Butler.
“It was whispers bro, I can’t share. The man told me something in confidence,” said Schulz.
It’s unclear what the two spoke, but we can assume how the conversation would have been knowing Schulz’s crass and direct style of humor. The comedian would have cracked some jokes at the ongoing Butler-Riley ordeal. And, given his nature, Butler would have happily reciprocated with some sarcastic jibes of his own.
Schulz was so secretive that he was unwilling to share photographs of him with the NBA star at the event.
“I’m not going to post any picture of Jimmy. I don’t want to get him in trouble, he’s a nice guy,” said Schulz.
Ironically, he woke up to a video of himself on Jimmy’s social media. Clearly, at this point, the power forward doesn’t care about ticking off the Heat front office. Butler may even provide graphic details of the conversation if prodded.
A couple of weeks have passed since then. And, Butler is yet to be traded and is serving his third suspension. With the February 6 trade deadline fast approaching, it’s difficult to imagine him returning to Miami after everything that’s transpired between him and the organization.
Schulz stands by Butler
Both Schulz and co-host Charlamagne seem to agree that Pat Riley and the Heat FO have not handled this situation well. After Butler helped them reach two NBA Finals, the Heat have refused to reward the star forward with an extension which most believe he deserves.
“They did him wrong, they should’ve given him the extension…. Jimmy by himself is going to win you one Playoff game by himself,” said Schulz.
There is a counter-argument for this, though. The Heat do not want to pay Jimmy over $50 million a year via an extension that leads into his late 30s.
There are teams in the league who initially would’ve jumped at the opportunity to have Butler on their squad. Unfortunately for him, a handful of these organizations are reportedly turned off Jimmy’s potential for disruption given how Bernie Lee and his camp have handled this situation.
Fans and pundits have also cautioned against trading for him as they believe he brings about a whirlwind of drama and baggage. The most popular destination is the Phoenix Suns.
However, with the Heat’s asking price on Butler going down, and Phoenix still not having found a viable package for him, the signs do not hold much promise for the 6x All-Star.
