Heat president Pat Riley finally opens up about Jimmy Butler trade
Over the last few months, Miami Heat president Pat Riley remained mum about talking about star forward Jimmy Butler.
Riley finally broke that silence by acknowledging Butler’s significant impact on the organization and wishing him well on his next venture with the Golden State Warriors.
“There’s no doubt that what happened with Jimmy had a tremendous impact on our team,” Riley said via ESPN. “There’s no doubt about it. So the buck stops with me. I’ll take that hit if you want it.”
Butler’s tenure with the Heat ended on rocky terms as the star forward publicly aired his frustration with the franchise. His actions led Riley to suspend him on three separate occasions before moving him to the Warriors before the trade deadline in February.
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Much of Butler’s issues came when Riley and the Heat elected not to offer him a two-year, $113 million extension last offseason. After that point, the relationship between the two sides deteriorated, leading Miami to trade him.
“I’m not going to apologize for saying no on a contract extension when we didn’t have to,” Riley said. “And I don’t think I should.”
It’s clear that Riley and the Heat wanted to address the situation one last time to bring a close to the discussion. Butler is onto the next chapter of his career with the Warriors, trying to push the franchise to another championship.
Meanwhile, Riley is looking to retool the roster to put together a group that can compete for an NBA title next season.
