Frustrated about not reaching a contract extension and being offended by Pat Riley’s callout, Butler notably demanded a trade that sent him to the Warriors last season.
It appears that Jimmy Butler remains emotional about how things have ended between him and the Miami Heat.
During a playful moment with Coco Gauff at the Indian Wells Open, Jimmy Butler jokingly told the tennis star to root for the Golden State Warriors instead of the Miami Heat.
Butler then said the Miami Heat had “hurt” him, referencing his frustration over not getting a contract extension before the franchise sent him to the Golden State Warriors last year.
The full encounter between Butler and Gauff can be watched below:
“By the way, your team hurt me, by the way. The Heat hurt me. Yeah, the Heat hurt me. I just wanna say,” Butler playfully told Gauff.
” … Switch alliances. And remember, Steph [Curry] is on my team now so like, everybody love Steph.”
In April 2024, an injured Butler infamously claimed that he would have beaten the New York Knicks and the eventual champion Boston Celtics if he were healthy for the Miami Heat. Upon this, Heat president Pat Riley called Butler out and said, “keep your mouth shut” during a press conference.
Riley’s public rant against him, combined with the Heat’s hesitancy to give him a new max contract, prompted Butler to burn bridges with Miami and demand a trade. He was then dealt before the 2024-25 trade deadline to the Warriors.
In 5 ½ seasons, Butler carried the Heat to success, which includes two NBA Finals appearances in the 2020 Bubble and in 2023, in which they made it in a historic fashion as an eight seed.
Butler is currently rehabbing from his torn ACL injury. He is expected to return at some point during the next 2026-27 season.
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