Adebayo continues to lead Butlerless Heat through uncertain times as NBA trade deadline nears
The NBA trade deadline is finally almost here. After living through the Jimmy Butler saga for the last month-plus, the Miami Heat hopes the trade deadline marks the end of a drama-filled few weeks for the organization.
Butler, 35, wants the Heat to trade him, and the Heat wants to trade Butler ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline. Despite wanting the same thing, finding a trade that both Butler and the Heat approves of has proven to be difficult.
The Phoenix Suns are still the team pushing the hardest to land Butler ahead of the deadline and also seemingly appear to be Butler’s preferred trade destination, according to league sources.
The issue is Bradley Beal would need to be part of any Suns trade package (if Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are off the table) to make the salary-cap math work, but the Suns have been unable to find a match for Beal. Not only does Beal have two years and $110 million left on his contract beyond this season, but he also can veto any trade because of his no-trade clause. The Heat has not been interested in taking on Beal in a Butler trade.
Then there’s the fact that Butler made it clear through back-channels a few weeks ago that he doesn’t have any interest in being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Sunday that Butler has also told the Golden State Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension with them.
This is part of the leverage Butler holds in this situation because he’s able to become a free agent this upcoming summer with a $52.4 million player option in his contract for next season. Most teams exploring a trade for him likely want to know that he would commit to them past the remainder of this season.
But there is a workaround that is being discussed: swapping Butler for Durant.
A source confirmed the Heat’s interest in Durant. ESPN also reported that Durant does not want to be traded back to the Warriors, which pursued him in recent days.
Windhorst suggested Wednesday afternoon that he wasn’t sure if the Suns would accept a Heat package built around Butler in exchange for Durant. However, Windhorst also predicted that Durant will either be traded to the Heat or remain with the Suns ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
Whatever happens, Heat players are ready to move forward and receive some clarity on what’s next after an up-and-down few weeks. The Heat (24-24) fell back to .500 after blowing a 12-point fourth-quarter lead in a 133-124 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at United Center.
Through it all, Heat captain Bam Adebayo has been tasked with leading the team through these uncertain times.
“I feel like I’ve handled it well,” Adebayo said, with the Heat continuing its trip on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. “If I grade myself, it’s 50-50, honestly. It’s just handling it where everybody understands we can still win through this. We’ve grown as players when it comes to certain situations, we’ve actually grown as men. So being able to focus and understand that games still got to get played. The schedule doesn’t change.”
Adebayo, who is in his second season as the Heat’s captain, has emphasized that to a relatively young roster that currently includes eight players under the age of 26.
“No matter what’s going on, the schedule is going to happen and we got to go out there and play,” Adebayo, 27, said. “I feel like, to me, I’ve emphasized that being the biggest thing. We still got to play games. We can’t sit around and do what everybody else is doing, thinking about it and worrying about it. No, we have to go out here and hoop. That’s what our coach expects us to do. That’s what this organization, the fans, they expect us to go out there and still play basketball no matter what we’re going through.”
Butler remains away from the Heat as he serves his third-team issued suspension without pay in the last five weeks — a span that has included a trade request from Butler, three suspensions issued by the Heat and an airing of grievances against each other along the way.
“I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball,” Butler said on Jan. 2 during a postgame news conference at Kaseya Center. “And wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon, I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here — off the court. But I want to be back to someone dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I’m not doing that.”
When asked whether he believes he could get his joy back with the Heat, Butler answered on Jan. 2: “Probably not.”
The day after Butler made those comments, the Heat announced his seven-game suspension on Jan. 3 through a press release that said: “We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks. Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team.
“Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”
After serving that seven-game suspension, Butler rejoined the Heat to play in three games before he was suspended again in the wake of missing the team’s flight to Milwaukee for a Jan. 23 road game against the Bucks.
Butler was planning to fly separately to meet the Heat in Milwaukee ahead of the contest. But the Heat instead again suspended Butler on Jan. 22 — this time for two games.
The Heat announced that two-game suspension through a press release that said: “We have suspended Jimmy Butler for two games for continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today’s team flight to Milwaukee.”
After serving that two-game suspension, Butler was again set to rejoin the Heat for its Jan. 27 home game against the Orlando Magic.
Butler took part in the Heat’s shootaround that morning in preparation for the contest. But a league source indicated that Butler left shootaround during the late stages of the session, while players were shooting individually, after he was informed that he was not going to start.
This action led to Butler’s third team-issued suspension without pay, this time for an indefinite period of time lasting at least five games.
The Heat announced that indefinite suspension on Jan. 27 before its game against the Magic through a press release that said: “The Miami Heat are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games. The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”
According to multiple sources, Butler’s relationship with the team took a turn this past offseason when Heat president Pat Riley challenged him publicly during his season-ending news conference and the Heat declined to give him a two-year, $113 million contract extension.
In meetings with Heat owner Micky Arison, chief executive officer Nick Arison and Riley in January, Butler remained adamant about his desire to be traded out of Miami.
Will the Heat find a trade for Butler ahead of Thursday’s deadline? That remains to be seen, but the answer needs to come by Thursday afternoon.
One thing is for sure, Adebayo will continue to try to lead the Heat through the highs and the lows that come with serving as the captain of a young team.
“Leadership sometimes is something that you’re asked to do when you’re not necessarily ready to do it. Then sometimes it’s a calling,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Adebayo’s growing leadership skills. “So this has been both for him. We asked him to do more as a leader. He embraced how uncomfortable that is. I tell him all the time, leadership sucks. Get used to it because there’s a lot of gratification from it when you can influence in a proper way and a positive way. And he just continues to grow.”
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 10:41 AM.
