Donning a No. 45 Michael Jordan Jersey along with his agent Bernie Lee releasing an "I'm back" statement, Jimmy Butler made his long-awaited return to the Miami Heat in style after his seven-game suspension came to an end. Unfortunately, Butler's return did not lead to a victory as the Miami Heat received a 133-113 beatdown from the Denver Nuggets Friday night at Kaseya Center.
Jimmy Butler's recent message has been sent loud and clear.
As expected, Butler was swarmed by media after the game and was asked multiple questions regarding his trade request and the news that has unfolded over the last few weeks.
"It was a lot said from everybody except for me to tell you the truth," Butler said. "Sooner or later, the whole truth will come out."
When asked if he would ever regain his joy on the court, Butler stated he was instructed to say "no comment." The postgame press conference was expected to be filled with drama, but Butler tried to defuse it.
"If I'm here, I will get out there and play," Butler said. "It felt good to get out there and compete and actually run around with these guys."
Butler finished the game with 18 points and was somewhat more engaged compared to his previous games against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Indiana Pacers.
Following ESPN's report that Butler felt the Heat were prioritizing Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo over him, Butler made it clear he has no issue with his teammates.
"My beef's not with them and never will be, never has been."
These postgame comments reassure that Butler is not happy in Miami and let it be known that his problems with the Heat are solely with the front office. But, I do like that Butler cleared the air when it came to his teammates and made it known that he does enjoy their company and to also compete with them.
If Butler wants the Heat to fulfill his wish of trading him, the best thing for Butler to do is act professional and put forth his best effort instead of putting forth no effort by standing in a corner the entire game or getting suspended again. That does nothing besides tank his value even more and will drag out a messy situation even further.
On the flip side, the Heat need to continue to pursue a trade for Butler as the deadline approaches and not fall into a trap of thinking that possibly winning more games will solve this problem. Even with Butler, this team is not a contender and Friday night amplified that point. Earlier this week, Butler made it clear to Pat Riley that he will not be signing a new deal with the Heat.
There seems to be nothing that can resolve this issue, and a trade happening sooner rather than later would be ideal. If Butler continues to enter each game with professionalism and plays well, the possibility of a team deciding to trade for him to bolster their roster for a title run will definitely increase.
