The wish of Jimmy Butler to play for another team will have to wait for now. The Miami Heat have reportedly pulled the plug on any potential NBA trade involving Butler as the team will likely focus on the resources they have for now.
According to CBS Sports, Heat President Pat Riley himself informed his players that they are pulling the plug for now. However, he added that this does not mean that something won't happen later.
From that message alone, Riley may have been trying to fire up his players in an effort to show that the current roster can manage even without Butler. One player who is expected to prove his worth is Josh Richardson, the name that cropped up out of the potential Jimmy Butler trade rumors.
In their last outing, the Heat squeaked past the Washington Wizards, 113-112 thanks to a last-second shot by Kelly Olynyk. It was the first win for Miami for the 2018-19 NBA season.
Richardson led the way for the Heat with 28 points together with four assists and five rebounds. In their loss to the Orlando Magic (101-104), Richardson had 21 points to go with five boards. In two games, the 25-year-old has averaged close to 25 points per outing. Could this be the reason why Riley opted to shelve trade plans for now?
At his age, there is no question that Richardson has the makings of a future NBA star. It, however, remains to be seen if he can sustain this for the long haul. If so, the Heat could end up retooling their trade package for Butler with another player. If this happens, it changes the face of the deal completely - unless Miami stuffs it with additional assets.
On the other end, Butler debuted for the Minnesota Timberwolves who lost to the San Antonio Spurs 108-112. Ordinarily, the loss would be seen by most like something that would ignite another backlash from the 29-year-old swingman. Surprisingly, he was pleased with the way his team played.
Considering he hardly joined the team at training camp, Butler was expectedly rusty. However, it was his leadership that helped the T-Wolves come back later in the game, including a game-tying three-pointer with only 43 seconds left in the contest, ESPN said.
As expected, media asked him if he was going to play the remaining 81 games with Minnesota. He responded with a smile and bluntly mentioned that he just plans to play 81 games and that this was all that matters.
With the Heat out, chances are another team could come in to express interest in the NBA star. The only question now is which one and when?
