Heat Veteran Pokes Fun at Jimmy Butler’s Financial Losses After Suspension

If Miami Heat big man Kevin Love can’t get another contract next season, he should instead venture into stand-up comedy.

Love continued his stretch of mocking teammate Jimmy Butler’s suspension Friday, hours before the six-time All-Star returned to the court. Miami banished Butler on Jan. 3, one day after he requested a trade.

The seven-game suspension will reportedly cost Butler roughly $2.36 million.

“Me trying to recoup the suspension money for Jimmy & [agent Bernie Lee] on my Vet Minimum contract,” Love wrote, adding a #poweroffriendship hashtag.

Love is in the first year of a two-season, $8 million contract. Maybe he’ll purchase a BigFace coffee if he wants to really utilize the #poweroffriendship and help Butler financially.

Butler’s suspension has nonetheless kept Love, who has played only once since Dec. 29, busy. He celebrated Butler’s impending return with an Instagram post Thursday.

The veteran big man shared an infamous scene from The Wolf of Wall Street where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character expresses he’s “not f----g leaving.”

“LIVE LOOK - Jimmy after his meeting with Micky,” Love wrote, adding a #getmyjoyback caption.

“Micky” refers to Heat owner Micky Arison, who reportedly planned to meet with Butler before Friday’s game against the Nuggets.

HEAT “DREAD” BUTLER COMEBACK

ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne reported Friday there is a “palpable dread” ahead of Butler’s return from a seven-game suspension. Miami banished the six-time All-Star on Jan. 3, one day after he requested a trade.

“I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” one source told Shelburne.

Another went so far as to say, “We don’t want him back.”

Shelburne did not specify if the sources were players. However, she noted sources told her those inside the locker room—players, coaches, and staff—are “weary” of the ongoing drama.

Unfortunately, those sources are stuck with Butler right now. His seven-game suspension officially ended following Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, and he is expected to play Friday night against the Nuggets.

We’ll see if Miami deals Butler ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. He reportedly recently reiterated his trade request in a meeting with Heat president Pat Riley, who has been publicly critical of Butler for nearly a year.

By the sound of things, a significant amount of people inside the Heat would absolutely welcome seeing Butler clean out his locker.

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.