NBA Rumors: Pat Riley's ego and overall stubbornness revolving around the Jimmy Butler saga could end up costing the Miami Heat in the long run.
There was a time when Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat seemed perfect for each other. That lasted about five years as both sides are now desperate for a divorce. As Jimmy continues to push for a trade away from the Heat (and likely to the Phoenix Suns), the ball falls directly the the Heat's court to make a deal before the February 6 NBA Trade Deadline. However, with how things are currently trending, the path toward a deal remains very much complicated.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Heat have held discussions revolving around a potential trade of Jimmy but aren't close to a deal. In the words of Shams, "Riley has not shown an urgency in these talks."
Certainly, things can change over the next few weeks before the trade deadline but at least for now, it doesn't appear as if Miami is going to trade Jimmy. While it wouldn't make sense for the Heat to trade Jimmy just for the sake of moving him, we may have arrived at the point where he does offer more value off the team than on it.
Why not trading Jimmy Butler would be a huge mistake
And if that is where things stand for the rest of the roster, it would be malpractice for Riley to keep this charade going for the remainder of the season and into the offseason. If Jimmy isn't traded at the deadline, you can almost be sure he's going to opt into that final year of his deal to get his money while continuing to push for a trade. It would make little sense for Jimmy to test free agency with almost no teams that will have the necessary cap space to max him out.
You can speak to the strength of the Heat franchise and how this is a locker room that can survive such a problem but it should always be the goal of the front office to make life easier for the rest of the roster and the head coach. They'd be doing the exact opposite of that by keeping Jimmy on the roster and not having a resolution to this entire ordeal sooner rather than later.
The offers may not be great but Riley can't allow his ego to take command in this situation. Miami is already stuck regardless of what happens with Jimmy. It's hard to imagine how this team is going to effectively retool around the rest of the roster, especially if the return for the All-Star forward isn't expected to be great. There are times when it's in the best interest of a franchise to cut ties and move on from specific players. The Heat has arrived at that point with Jimmy. Not doing so could end up costing the Heat in the long run.