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Jimmy Butler Reacts to Kevin Love's Post Hinting at New Development in Heat Saga
Just a few days ago, Jimmy Butler's days with the Miami Heat appeared to be numbered following his public trade request. However, a post by Heat teammate Kevin Love on Thursday afternoon could indicate things have changed.
Love, Butler's teammate of two-plus seasons in Miami, posted a famous clip from the 2013 film Wolf of Wall Street on Instagram, depicting Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) telling his office that he's "not f---ing leaving."
Love used the caption, "Live look [at] Jimmy after his meeting with Micky," inferring that Butler recently met with Heat owner Micky Arison—and it appears to have gone well.
Butler, appearing to approve of the post, hit "like" on the video on Instagram.
Butler publicly announced his displeasure with the Heat following a 128–115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 2, stating that he hasn't been playing with "joy" in Miami. He hasn't played since that night, as the Heat issued a seven-game suspension for Butler over conduct detrimental to the team.
The Heat went 3–4 without Butler, and now he's eligible to return Friday night in Miami's matchup against the Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center.
TNT's Chris Haynes reported Tuesday that Butler could return to the floor for Miami if he's not dealt by Friday night. And based on Love's post—if it's to be taken seriously—that appears to be the case.
In 22 games this season, Butler is averaging 17.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per contest. The Heat enter Friday night's tilt with a 20–19 record, good for ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
Butler, making $48.8 million this year, has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season but is expected to decline that year of his contract in search of a lucrative multiyear deal.
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Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.