The output of Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat He left a deep mark in the organization. In seasonal closure interviews, the coach Erik Spoelstra He acknowledged that the situation with Butler was “a dark cloud” that affected the team for much of the year.
“It had an impact, no doubt,” said Spoelstra, according to Miami Herald. “We are an organization that does not seek excuses, but it was a season of turbulent waters. And although we would have managed perfectly, we would not have put us first at the conference.”
Jimmy Butler, who led the Heat to two NBA finals in five years, was criticized by President Pat Riley for his behavior in the Playoffs of 2024 and his little availability during the season. The situation climbed when Miami refused to grant him a two -year contract extension for $ 113 million, which led Butler to ask for a transfer.
A constant fight between Butler and the Heat
The six-time All-Star was suspended without pay three times in January before being sent to the Golden State Warriors at the closure of the market. Days later, he signed an extension for two years and $ 121 million with his new team.
“It was a good five -year stage,” said Spoelstra. “But sometimes things end in noisy, and this was one of those times. We have already passed the page.”
Miami ended the regular season with a 37-45 record, in the tenth position of the east. Although they managed to enter the playoffs after winning the play-in, they were swept 4-0 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The defeats for 37 and 55 points in games 3 and 4 marked the greatest balls in the history of the HEAT playoffs, with a total differential of -122, the worst in any post -sported series of the NBA.
Bam Adebayo also spoke about the internal environment: “Spo did his best to keep the focus, but there was a lot of noise, many sudden changes, uncertainty about who would be available.”
Butler played 30 games with the Warriors, averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Golden State leads 3-1 his first round series against the Houston Rockets.
