How Jimmy Butler-Heat relationship devolved to where a trade was the only solution
Two of the toughest, most obstinate, most my-way-or-the-highway personalities in the NBA were face to face early last month. Shortly after the meeting, sources close to the player said Riley called Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, and told him of his plans to lift Butler’s suspension and have him rejoin the team. When the Heat determined after the meeting that Butler wasn’t ready to return, team sources said, the choice was made to see the suspension through. According to sources close to Butler, this sudden change in policy was an example of Riley asserting his dominance over the star forward after being perfectly fine with an “alternate travel schedule.” According to Heat sources, the protocol for Butler’s unusual travel arrangements had been changed by Riley approximately two months before the missed flight. Riley wrote in the letter that Butler threatened to skip practices, not listen to Spoelstra and make his return “uncomfortable and refuse to stand in team huddles and otherwise distance yourself from the team.” He added that he failed “to give best efforts during recent games” and was “combative and argumentative during recent meetings with me and the Arisons.” “This suspension is further based on the facts that team executives and coaching staff have discussed your behavior with you and your agent on numerous prior occasions, and you have been previously disciplined by the team for certain of your actions, but you subsequently failed to conform your conduct to standards appropriately required by the Miami Heat, the Handbook, the UPC and the CBA,” the letter stated.
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