The Jimmy Butler slander isnt hard to find amid his trade saga with the Heat, but one insider has disputed a recent report about the Heat star.
The report in question is that of insider Jake Fischer, who said that Butler had skipped shoot arounds and flown separately from the team.
Now its Pat Rileys front office that has shown it will no longer tolerate Butlers freestyling, announcing to the world on Jan. 3 that the six-time NBA All-Star has been suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, Fischer wrote. Among Butlers transgressions, according to league sources, have been multiple instances of Butler skipping out on morning shootarounds altogether and insisting on private flights separate from Miamis team charter. Former Heat star Tim Hardaway Sr. told Sirius XM NBA Radio over the weekend that Riley sent a 10-page letter to the players association detailing Butlers missteps.
However, fellow insider Chris Haynes wants to get a few things straight.
I was told in the last 5 years, Jimmy [Butler] took less than 5 separate flights from the team and 4 of them were in the Finals against Denver when his father was sick, Haynes said on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.
The latest from ESPNs Shams Charania is that Jimmy had a face-to-face meeting last week with Pat Riley and reiterated his want to be traded.
Butler told Riley that he will not sign a new deal in Miami and that he intends to use his $52 million player option for 2025-26 in the offseason only as a trade maneuver, sources said, Charania said.
The Suns remain the frontrunner to land the six-time All-Star, despite needing another team to absorb Bradley Beals massive contract in order to facilitate a deal.
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