Dell, come back
- Thread starter kane
- Start date
Dell Dude
EOG Master
Goosephabba.
1st Half Over 1.5 Goals -120
1ST HALF OVER/UNDER 1.5 GOALS
Genclerbirligi 0
Erokspor A.S 1
Half time
$3.00 TOTAL WAGER
$0.00 RETURNED
BET ID: O/0044609/0017987
PLACED: 2/7/2025 10:22AM MST
1st Half Over 2.5 Goals +600
1ST HALF OVER/UNDER 2.5 GOALS
Genclerbirligi 0
Erokspor A.S 1
Half time
$5.00 TOTAL WAGER
$0.00 RETURNED
BET ID: O/0044609/0017991
PLACED: 2/7/2025 10:25AM MST
1st Half Over 1.5 Goals -120
1ST HALF OVER/UNDER 1.5 GOALS
Genclerbirligi 0
Erokspor A.S 1
Half time
$3.00 TOTAL WAGER
$0.00 RETURNED
BET ID: O/0044609/0017987
PLACED: 2/7/2025 10:22AM MST
1st Half Over 2.5 Goals +600
1ST HALF OVER/UNDER 2.5 GOALS
Genclerbirligi 0
Erokspor A.S 1
Half time
$5.00 TOTAL WAGER
$0.00 RETURNED
BET ID: O/0044609/0017991
PLACED: 2/7/2025 10:25AM MST
Dell Dude
EOG Master
Since winning Wimbledon, she made it to the Assy finals and Wimbledon semis. And she has consistently won a handful of quality tournaments every year. If she's on her meds and in form, she can win anything anywhere. I can't post yes for sure. Who knows. Her odds will always be low. Only 3 players that would have lower odds.
kane
EOG master
Thanks, I'll just tail whoever you're on
kane
EOG master
Two NBA scouts, others assess Andrew Wiggins and what Heat received this week
Two veteran NBA scouts who have seen a lot of Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson gave the Heat high marks for its trade-deadline maneuvering that sent disgruntled Jimmy Butler to Golden State and three players and a first-round pick to Miami. “It’s a good return,” said one longtime scout for an Eastern Conference team. “Everyone knew Jimmy had to be traded. They had no leverage and they had to trade him. They got a starter with Wiggins, a quality backup with Mitchell. The fit is pretty good with both. They get the first-round pick, too. I give them a B at least. Just to get rid of Butler was important; talk about addition by subtraction with the way he was acting.”
How the scouts, one from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference, assessed the two players, offered on condition of anonymity because their teams don’t permit them to speak publicly: ▪ Eastern scout on Wiggins: “He’s had a very nice year. Above average three-point shooter except for the one year” when he shot 33.2 percent in 2019-20. He has shot between 36 and 39.6 percent on threes every season since. “Is he a go-to player in the Jimmy Butler sense? No. But he does have some self-creating ability, and he’s a solid defender both on and off the ball. Average passer. He got a little undersold because of last year. People thought he was declining, but he’s now back to his old form. Is he a good No. 3 option on a good team? Probably. Solid, above average NBA starter.” ▪ Western scout on Wiggins: “He’s a freak athlete. There’s never been any question about his talent. It’s kind of like the same question with Kel’el Ware. Can the motor always work? That’s the question with Wiggins. When the motor is working, he’s much more talented athletically than Jimmy in my opinion. Much more. Don’t misunderstand that, I’m not saying Wiggins is a better player than Jimmy. Wiggins learned a lot from Jimmy in Minnesota, and Jimmy loved his talent. “Sometimes Wiggins has these games where he doesn’t have the same motor. You are going to get some amazing games where he feels like a high level NBA player and other nights, you won’t. Consistency is wild for the talent. He will have 40 and then he’ll score 11 and you’ll be like, ‘what the hell?’ “It’s a good match, though. Spo [Erik Spoelstra] does a really good job of motivating guys. It’s good for both. It will be good for Wiggins. He has the ability to be elite defensively.
“He’s very coachable. Offensively, he can shoot the three, can post up, he’s very versatile, you can play him at 2, 3, 4 [shooting guard or either forward position at 6-7]. He can defend twos, threes and some fours. His matchups against LeBron James were always interesting; there was extra motivation there. “Because he’s versatile, you will never say, ‘Oh, he can’t play with that [particular] guy.’ He can drive and kick. In terms of initiating the drive and kick or being the recipient, he can be on either side.”
▪ Eastern scout on Mitchell: “He’s one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, bar none. Top five. Adequate playmaker. He’s not a great shooter but can make an open three. He’s Heat culture and a natural point guard. To me, he’s the only natural point guard on their roster now because I don’t look at Terry Rozier as that. He’s small but can guard a little bigger guys. He really gets into people.” ▪ Western scout on Kyle Anderson: “He’s one of the highest IQ players in the league, in my view. From afar, he’s one of those guys you might say, ‘What does he do?’ But he has value. Not a great shooter, but people have greater appreciation when they see him day-to-day. He’s an underrated leader from a role player standpoint. He’s a smart team defender and lends to winning.”
Two veteran NBA scouts who have seen a lot of Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson gave the Heat high marks for its trade-deadline maneuvering that sent disgruntled Jimmy Butler to Golden State and three players and a first-round pick to Miami. “It’s a good return,” said one longtime scout for an Eastern Conference team. “Everyone knew Jimmy had to be traded. They had no leverage and they had to trade him. They got a starter with Wiggins, a quality backup with Mitchell. The fit is pretty good with both. They get the first-round pick, too. I give them a B at least. Just to get rid of Butler was important; talk about addition by subtraction with the way he was acting.”
How the scouts, one from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference, assessed the two players, offered on condition of anonymity because their teams don’t permit them to speak publicly: ▪ Eastern scout on Wiggins: “He’s had a very nice year. Above average three-point shooter except for the one year” when he shot 33.2 percent in 2019-20. He has shot between 36 and 39.6 percent on threes every season since. “Is he a go-to player in the Jimmy Butler sense? No. But he does have some self-creating ability, and he’s a solid defender both on and off the ball. Average passer. He got a little undersold because of last year. People thought he was declining, but he’s now back to his old form. Is he a good No. 3 option on a good team? Probably. Solid, above average NBA starter.” ▪ Western scout on Wiggins: “He’s a freak athlete. There’s never been any question about his talent. It’s kind of like the same question with Kel’el Ware. Can the motor always work? That’s the question with Wiggins. When the motor is working, he’s much more talented athletically than Jimmy in my opinion. Much more. Don’t misunderstand that, I’m not saying Wiggins is a better player than Jimmy. Wiggins learned a lot from Jimmy in Minnesota, and Jimmy loved his talent. “Sometimes Wiggins has these games where he doesn’t have the same motor. You are going to get some amazing games where he feels like a high level NBA player and other nights, you won’t. Consistency is wild for the talent. He will have 40 and then he’ll score 11 and you’ll be like, ‘what the hell?’ “It’s a good match, though. Spo [Erik Spoelstra] does a really good job of motivating guys. It’s good for both. It will be good for Wiggins. He has the ability to be elite defensively.
“He’s very coachable. Offensively, he can shoot the three, can post up, he’s very versatile, you can play him at 2, 3, 4 [shooting guard or either forward position at 6-7]. He can defend twos, threes and some fours. His matchups against LeBron James were always interesting; there was extra motivation there. “Because he’s versatile, you will never say, ‘Oh, he can’t play with that [particular] guy.’ He can drive and kick. In terms of initiating the drive and kick or being the recipient, he can be on either side.”
▪ Eastern scout on Mitchell: “He’s one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, bar none. Top five. Adequate playmaker. He’s not a great shooter but can make an open three. He’s Heat culture and a natural point guard. To me, he’s the only natural point guard on their roster now because I don’t look at Terry Rozier as that. He’s small but can guard a little bigger guys. He really gets into people.” ▪ Western scout on Kyle Anderson: “He’s one of the highest IQ players in the league, in my view. From afar, he’s one of those guys you might say, ‘What does he do?’ But he has value. Not a great shooter, but people have greater appreciation when they see him day-to-day. He’s an underrated leader from a role player standpoint. He’s a smart team defender and lends to winning.”
kane
EOG master
More reaction Some feedback from national outlets on the Heat’s trades: ▪ ESPN’s Kevin Pelton: “Once the Heat were in a position where they had to trade Butler, this was a pretty good return. Miami accomplished its goal of avoiding taking back bad salary while also getting what could be a quality first-round pick to replenish its coffers. After a down 2023-24, Wiggins has been back to the quality 3-and-D star he was for the Warriors during their 2022 championship run....Miami could still use Anderson’s playmaking ability. Anderson’s length will work well in the zone defenses Erik Spoelstra likes to use with second units.
“It’s clear this Miami team has less upside than it would have with a motivated Butler. Given the Heat’s desire to protect their 2026 cap space and Butler’s urgency to sign an extension, that wasn’t in the cards. Getting a quality starter on a good contract and a worthwhile first-round pick is a reasonable save.” ▪ Yahoo NBA writer Kevin O’Connor: “Love the Jimmy Butler deal for the Heat. Andrew Wiggins is younger, a good defender, a way better shooter. Fits this Heat system alongside the core pieces. And a pick in the 11-18 range could net them a nice piece. All for a disgruntled player who didn’t want to be there.” The Heat gets one Golden State first-round pick, which is top-10 protected in 2025 and 2026 and unprotected in 2027 if it hasn’t conveyed to Miami in 2025 or 2026. ▪ Former Suns and Hawks and Nets official Amin Elhassen, of the Dan Le Batard show and formerly ESPN: “If the deal for Kevin Durant had not come up, you would be like, given everything has happened since Feb. 1, this is a pretty good deal. Kevin Durant for Jimmy Butler straight up was a real conversation.” ▪ ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins: Wiggins “is going to fit fine with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware. Pat Riley wins again. I love this for the Heat.”
“It’s clear this Miami team has less upside than it would have with a motivated Butler. Given the Heat’s desire to protect their 2026 cap space and Butler’s urgency to sign an extension, that wasn’t in the cards. Getting a quality starter on a good contract and a worthwhile first-round pick is a reasonable save.” ▪ Yahoo NBA writer Kevin O’Connor: “Love the Jimmy Butler deal for the Heat. Andrew Wiggins is younger, a good defender, a way better shooter. Fits this Heat system alongside the core pieces. And a pick in the 11-18 range could net them a nice piece. All for a disgruntled player who didn’t want to be there.” The Heat gets one Golden State first-round pick, which is top-10 protected in 2025 and 2026 and unprotected in 2027 if it hasn’t conveyed to Miami in 2025 or 2026. ▪ Former Suns and Hawks and Nets official Amin Elhassen, of the Dan Le Batard show and formerly ESPN: “If the deal for Kevin Durant had not come up, you would be like, given everything has happened since Feb. 1, this is a pretty good deal. Kevin Durant for Jimmy Butler straight up was a real conversation.” ▪ ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins: Wiggins “is going to fit fine with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware. Pat Riley wins again. I love this for the Heat.”
mr merlin
EOG Master
She's a headcase, talent wise she's right near the top, but the strange injuries/retirements are a no go.
kane
EOG master
Behind-the-scenes insight on the Butler saga, Heat’s Durant inquiry, Wiggins trade, more
Fifteen behind-the-scenes nuggets on the Jimmy Butler saga that played out inside Heat headquarters during the past six weeks and Thursday’s five-team trade that ultimately shipped Butler to the Warriors and Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson to the Heat: ▪ Yes, the Heat and Phoenix Suns had a serious conversation about a trade that would have sent Kevin Durant to Miami for Butler and other assets. The Suns offered a vision of what they thought that trade should look like. The Heat presented a counter vision. The sides ultimately could not bridge the gap between the visions and both parties moved on, with Phoenix exploring other options and the Heat shifting back to discussions with the Warriors.
The Suns asked Miami for a combination of talented young players and draft picks, a rich package that Miami considered too steep, despite its admiration for Durant, who has one and half years remaining on his contract. The Heat could revisit those trade conversations if Durant asks out this summer. But Miami isn’t inclined to give up the vast majority of its best assets in a Durant deal, even though the Heat has coveted him for years. The Heat discussions with Phoenix about Durant, 36, came after a proposed three-team trade that would have sent Durant to the Warriors fell through, in part because Durant conveyed he didn’t want to return to Golden State. Durant had no issue with being traded to the Heat. But he generally preferred to stay in Phoenix, ESPN analyst and former general manager Bob Myers said after speaking with Durant recently. Phoenix then presented a Durant trade vision to the Heat. ▪ Though the Heat was opposed to clogging its books with bad or enormous contracts that extend past next season, the Heat never considered Wiggins an onerous or unpalatable contract. Miami always targeted Wiggins in discussions with Golden State because they really like him as a player. The Heat never intended to acquire Wiggins with the purpose of rerouting him to Toronto or anywhere else. The Heat views him as a highly talented two-way player who will be able to guard one of the opponent’s best wing players and offer a needed boost offensively. ▪ The Heat waited awhile for the Suns to try to find a third team that would take Bradley Beal’s contract but nothing ever got especially close. The Heat-Suns discussions were the only serious talks initially in the process. Atlanta and Washington considered taking on Beal but decided against it.
Though Miami respects Beal and appreciates his skills, the Heat gave absolutely no consideration to taking Beal’s contract because of the salary ($110 million left after this season, including $57 million in 2026-27) combined with his no-trade clause. Having a $57 million untradable contract was something the Heat wanted no part of. Miami would not have done the deal even if Phoenix offered all three of its tradable first-round picks, but it never got to that point because the Suns knew Miami wouldn’t take Beal. ▪ Though Philadelphia likely would have had interest in a Paul George-for-Butler swap, there were never any serious discussions about that. And the Heat very likely would not have done that. ▪ Though Milwaukee was linked to Butler, there were never any substantive talks of a deal to send Butler to Miami and Khris Middleton and others to Miami. The Bucks, who would have needed to dump salary to get under the second apron before any deal involving Butler, were involved in discussions with the Suns about Beal, but those never went anywhere. ▪ The Heat originally planned to send Denis Schroder and Kyle Anderson elsewhere, in part because that would have put them below the luxury tax line and in part because Miami wants to preserve flexibility in the buyout market. But Toronto changed its mind about adding Anderson when it was given an opportunity to add Brandon Ingram from New Orleans. The Heat was not angry with the Raptors because of the fluid nature of the trade deadline and because there was no firm commitment from Toronto to take Anderson. Even though the Anderson part of the deal fell through, Miami went ahead with trading Schroder because it had an agreement with Utah and didn’t want to renege. The Jazz then rerouted him to Detroit.
▪ When Miami agreed to take Schroder and send him to Utah, it did not know that adding Toronto point guard Davion Mitchell was a strong possibility. But after the Anderson deal didn’t materialize, the Heat decided that it needed point guard depth more than it needed another forward and then decided to trade P.J. Tucker (who was part of the initial Butler deal), two second-round picks and cash to Toronto for Mitchell, a player the Heat always has liked. ▪ In the hours before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, the Heat was presented with three trade proposals that would have dropped Miami below the luxury tax. At least one was presented just before the deadline, which the team considered as 3 p.m. passed. But the Heat decided each of the three deals would worsen the roster and decided to pay the tax instead. One of those deals would have left the Heat so close to the luxury tax that adding a buyout player would have put them back over the tax, and Miami didn’t want to rule out that option. ▪ Butler’s camp this week went public with criticisms of the Heat that had been shared privately with multiple reporters in recent weeks. The Heat pushed back on several of those claims that were published by The Athletic on Friday. For starters, a Heat source denied that Miami ever offered to lessen the number of games in Butler’s original seven-game suspension and denied asking Butler to pay his own way to meet out of town with owner Micky Arison to discuss the issue. Butler and Heat president Pat Riley on Jan. 7 , and a source did not refute The Athletic’s report that Riley became emotional when he raised the topic of Butler’s late father, whose death on Feb. 8, 2024, was chronicled on a Netflix series this past October. Riley’s father, Leon, died at age 64 in 1970.
The Heat found it disrespectful that Butler’s camp characterized Riley’s demeanor as “unhinged” in that moment. Instead, the Heat viewed it as a raw, human moment from Riley and nothing that Riley was using as leverage against Butler. That portrayal particularly angered the Heat. ▪ The Heat also resented the Butler camp’s characterization of Butler dragging an undertalented team with him to two Finals appearances. A Heat source said that disregards all that Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and others contributed to the 2020 title run and what Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and others did in the 2023 run. ▪ Butler’s camp told The Athletic that Riley agreed to shorten Butler’s seven-game suspension during the Jan. 7 meeting, but a Heat source insisted Riley agreed to no such thing because the meeting with Riley did not go well. A subsequent meeting with Micky Arison and Nick Arison also did not go well, two sources said. The Heat implored Butler to be patient and play the rest of the season, but Butler’s mind was made up. He wanted out. While Butler cited how he was being used offensively, the Heat believed Miami’s reluctance to give him a max extension for 2026-27 was at the root of his anger. ▪ A Heat source said Butler was the first player who ever refused to board a flight after not being granted permission to skip the flight. Butler was suspended after missing the team’s Jan. 22 flight to Milwaukee. A Heat source said the team informed his agent, Bernie Lee, that he would not be permitted to fly separately that day, though he was occasionally granted permission to do so in the past, if the reason was considered justified.
When Butler’s camp pressed the matter, Riley reinforced that Butler did not have permission to miss the flight. Butler missed the flight anyway. Butler’s camp claimed that he was given permission in August or September to miss the flight that day to attend a promotional event for a padel tournament, but the Heat had no recollection of giving any such promise. Butler had intended to fly to Milwaukee on his own later in the evening. ▪ In the Heat’s view, everything changed with Butler when he left the Dec. 20 Oklahoma City game after appearing to sprain his ankle and cited a stomach virus. While the Heat doesn’t question if he was ill, one Heat official found it curious that he refused a COVID test. The Heat also was bothered that he posted a photo of himself playing dominoes in the team’s locker room while Miami was playing in Houston that night (Dec. 29), the third game he missed citing illness. From that point, the Heat considered Butler to be disengaged and decided to grant his trade request. ▪ On Jan. 27, Erik Spoelstra informed the team midway through practice that Haywood Highsmith would continue to start and Butler would come off the bench. Butler then left practice early, was suspended and never played for the Heat again. Multiple sources insisted the decision was entirely Spoelstra’s and was not done to punish or trigger Butler, but instead done to maintain continuity, while taking into account that Butler’s hadn’t been fully engaged in three previous appearances between suspensions. ▪ A Heat source confirmed that Butler was denied permission to return to South Florida after spraining his ankle in a Nov. 8 loss in Denver. Miami felt the return from the trip, which had four games remaining, was not justified. Riley felt it was important that he remain with the team on the road for camaradarie and other reasons.
Fifteen behind-the-scenes nuggets on the Jimmy Butler saga that played out inside Heat headquarters during the past six weeks and Thursday’s five-team trade that ultimately shipped Butler to the Warriors and Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson to the Heat: ▪ Yes, the Heat and Phoenix Suns had a serious conversation about a trade that would have sent Kevin Durant to Miami for Butler and other assets. The Suns offered a vision of what they thought that trade should look like. The Heat presented a counter vision. The sides ultimately could not bridge the gap between the visions and both parties moved on, with Phoenix exploring other options and the Heat shifting back to discussions with the Warriors.
The Suns asked Miami for a combination of talented young players and draft picks, a rich package that Miami considered too steep, despite its admiration for Durant, who has one and half years remaining on his contract. The Heat could revisit those trade conversations if Durant asks out this summer. But Miami isn’t inclined to give up the vast majority of its best assets in a Durant deal, even though the Heat has coveted him for years. The Heat discussions with Phoenix about Durant, 36, came after a proposed three-team trade that would have sent Durant to the Warriors fell through, in part because Durant conveyed he didn’t want to return to Golden State. Durant had no issue with being traded to the Heat. But he generally preferred to stay in Phoenix, ESPN analyst and former general manager Bob Myers said after speaking with Durant recently. Phoenix then presented a Durant trade vision to the Heat. ▪ Though the Heat was opposed to clogging its books with bad or enormous contracts that extend past next season, the Heat never considered Wiggins an onerous or unpalatable contract. Miami always targeted Wiggins in discussions with Golden State because they really like him as a player. The Heat never intended to acquire Wiggins with the purpose of rerouting him to Toronto or anywhere else. The Heat views him as a highly talented two-way player who will be able to guard one of the opponent’s best wing players and offer a needed boost offensively. ▪ The Heat waited awhile for the Suns to try to find a third team that would take Bradley Beal’s contract but nothing ever got especially close. The Heat-Suns discussions were the only serious talks initially in the process. Atlanta and Washington considered taking on Beal but decided against it.
Though Miami respects Beal and appreciates his skills, the Heat gave absolutely no consideration to taking Beal’s contract because of the salary ($110 million left after this season, including $57 million in 2026-27) combined with his no-trade clause. Having a $57 million untradable contract was something the Heat wanted no part of. Miami would not have done the deal even if Phoenix offered all three of its tradable first-round picks, but it never got to that point because the Suns knew Miami wouldn’t take Beal. ▪ Though Philadelphia likely would have had interest in a Paul George-for-Butler swap, there were never any serious discussions about that. And the Heat very likely would not have done that. ▪ Though Milwaukee was linked to Butler, there were never any substantive talks of a deal to send Butler to Miami and Khris Middleton and others to Miami. The Bucks, who would have needed to dump salary to get under the second apron before any deal involving Butler, were involved in discussions with the Suns about Beal, but those never went anywhere. ▪ The Heat originally planned to send Denis Schroder and Kyle Anderson elsewhere, in part because that would have put them below the luxury tax line and in part because Miami wants to preserve flexibility in the buyout market. But Toronto changed its mind about adding Anderson when it was given an opportunity to add Brandon Ingram from New Orleans. The Heat was not angry with the Raptors because of the fluid nature of the trade deadline and because there was no firm commitment from Toronto to take Anderson. Even though the Anderson part of the deal fell through, Miami went ahead with trading Schroder because it had an agreement with Utah and didn’t want to renege. The Jazz then rerouted him to Detroit.
▪ When Miami agreed to take Schroder and send him to Utah, it did not know that adding Toronto point guard Davion Mitchell was a strong possibility. But after the Anderson deal didn’t materialize, the Heat decided that it needed point guard depth more than it needed another forward and then decided to trade P.J. Tucker (who was part of the initial Butler deal), two second-round picks and cash to Toronto for Mitchell, a player the Heat always has liked. ▪ In the hours before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, the Heat was presented with three trade proposals that would have dropped Miami below the luxury tax. At least one was presented just before the deadline, which the team considered as 3 p.m. passed. But the Heat decided each of the three deals would worsen the roster and decided to pay the tax instead. One of those deals would have left the Heat so close to the luxury tax that adding a buyout player would have put them back over the tax, and Miami didn’t want to rule out that option. ▪ Butler’s camp this week went public with criticisms of the Heat that had been shared privately with multiple reporters in recent weeks. The Heat pushed back on several of those claims that were published by The Athletic on Friday. For starters, a Heat source denied that Miami ever offered to lessen the number of games in Butler’s original seven-game suspension and denied asking Butler to pay his own way to meet out of town with owner Micky Arison to discuss the issue. Butler and Heat president Pat Riley on Jan. 7 , and a source did not refute The Athletic’s report that Riley became emotional when he raised the topic of Butler’s late father, whose death on Feb. 8, 2024, was chronicled on a Netflix series this past October. Riley’s father, Leon, died at age 64 in 1970.
The Heat found it disrespectful that Butler’s camp characterized Riley’s demeanor as “unhinged” in that moment. Instead, the Heat viewed it as a raw, human moment from Riley and nothing that Riley was using as leverage against Butler. That portrayal particularly angered the Heat. ▪ The Heat also resented the Butler camp’s characterization of Butler dragging an undertalented team with him to two Finals appearances. A Heat source said that disregards all that Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and others contributed to the 2020 title run and what Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and others did in the 2023 run. ▪ Butler’s camp told The Athletic that Riley agreed to shorten Butler’s seven-game suspension during the Jan. 7 meeting, but a Heat source insisted Riley agreed to no such thing because the meeting with Riley did not go well. A subsequent meeting with Micky Arison and Nick Arison also did not go well, two sources said. The Heat implored Butler to be patient and play the rest of the season, but Butler’s mind was made up. He wanted out. While Butler cited how he was being used offensively, the Heat believed Miami’s reluctance to give him a max extension for 2026-27 was at the root of his anger. ▪ A Heat source said Butler was the first player who ever refused to board a flight after not being granted permission to skip the flight. Butler was suspended after missing the team’s Jan. 22 flight to Milwaukee. A Heat source said the team informed his agent, Bernie Lee, that he would not be permitted to fly separately that day, though he was occasionally granted permission to do so in the past, if the reason was considered justified.
When Butler’s camp pressed the matter, Riley reinforced that Butler did not have permission to miss the flight. Butler missed the flight anyway. Butler’s camp claimed that he was given permission in August or September to miss the flight that day to attend a promotional event for a padel tournament, but the Heat had no recollection of giving any such promise. Butler had intended to fly to Milwaukee on his own later in the evening. ▪ In the Heat’s view, everything changed with Butler when he left the Dec. 20 Oklahoma City game after appearing to sprain his ankle and cited a stomach virus. While the Heat doesn’t question if he was ill, one Heat official found it curious that he refused a COVID test. The Heat also was bothered that he posted a photo of himself playing dominoes in the team’s locker room while Miami was playing in Houston that night (Dec. 29), the third game he missed citing illness. From that point, the Heat considered Butler to be disengaged and decided to grant his trade request. ▪ On Jan. 27, Erik Spoelstra informed the team midway through practice that Haywood Highsmith would continue to start and Butler would come off the bench. Butler then left practice early, was suspended and never played for the Heat again. Multiple sources insisted the decision was entirely Spoelstra’s and was not done to punish or trigger Butler, but instead done to maintain continuity, while taking into account that Butler’s hadn’t been fully engaged in three previous appearances between suspensions. ▪ A Heat source confirmed that Butler was denied permission to return to South Florida after spraining his ankle in a Nov. 8 loss in Denver. Miami felt the return from the trip, which had four games remaining, was not justified. Riley felt it was important that he remain with the team on the road for camaradarie and other reasons.
mr merlin
EOG Master
Butler is a very rich spoiled brat.