Report: Jimmy Butler May Be Headed To A New City If This Season Doesn’t End With Title
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Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are hoping to bring home a title in their third playoff appearance together.
The Heat have yet to win a championship in that period, but the latest reports by The Athletic's Joe Vardon suggest rival players believe Butler will request a trade this offseason if they don't win a title.
“Rival players speculated that Butler, worn down by the demands of Heat ‘culture,’ could seek a trade if it doesn’t work out this spring," Vardon wrote
In Butler’s first year with the team, he led the Heat to the 2020 NBA Finals where they fell short to Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The following season was cut short by a 4-0 sweep against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
The veteran additions of Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker, along with elevated play from role players has put Miami in a great place heading into the playoffs.
After a Defensive Player of the Year-worthy season from center Bam Adebayo and elite play from reserve Tyler Herro, who put together a strong case for Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 20.7, Miami has a shot at a deep playoff run.
However, this is leaving some to believe that it may be now or never for Butler in Miami. What the Heat were lacking in year's past was a reliant supporting cast around their cornerstones in Butler and Adebayo.
They have that now.
Whether the rumors are true or not, a great opportunity lies ahead of Butler and the Heat.
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Corey Holmes is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a film and television graduate from Notre Dame and has a master's degree in journalism from Morgan State. He can reached at coreyrholmes4@gmail.com or on Twitter @coreyholmes4
