Windhorst: Heat 'Baited' Jimmy Butler and Have 'Been Setting Traps' for Suspension

The Miami Heat reportedly "baited" Jimmy Butler and have been "setting traps" for him to "fall" before levying a third, and indefinite, suspension against the star on Monday.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained the situation on Tuesday's First Take.

He led off by saying he thought both Butler and the Heat were guilty of misbehaving, beginning with the player's response to not getting an extension last summer. Windhorst referenced how Paul George handled a similar situation last year with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing out the year and then getting a new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers as opposed to rebelling.

"I think they're all guilty. I think Jimmy Butler, when he didn't get the extension last summer, a rational thing to do would have been to come in this season and play all the way, show the Heat what they have, show the rest of the league what they have, get the Heat to reconsider midseason, which is allowed under the rules, and if failing that, opt out of your contract and get paid in the summer. That is what Paul George did a year ago with the Clippers.

"We weren't really sure where Paul was physically last year. They couldn't agree to an extension with Paul and the Clippers. He went out and had a brilliant season. He had a max contract offer waiting for him in Philly. I don't think it's working out so well for Philly, but you could see what Paul George was doing. Jimmy Butler didn't do that. From the start of this season, Jimmy Butler was focused on either getting paid or getting out of there. And all of his actions over the last four or five weeks have been focused on 'get me out of here.'"

Meanwhile, Windhorst pointed the finger at the Heat, specifically regarding how they handled telling Butler (and the team) that he would no longer be in the starting lineup during a recent team practice. Windhorst also criticized Miami for its action, specifically toward a veteran player of Butler's status.

"And if you're the Miami Heat, I don't think that they've covered themselves in glory with the way they've handled this, especially in these last few weeks. They've been setting traps for Jimmy to fall into them. Well, let me give you an example of what I mean. You don't tell an ex a veteran player like Jimmy Butler that he's not starting in the huddle in front of all the other players at shoot around. That's what happened yesterday. They had their first part of their shoot around, they got together for the game planning, and Erik Spoelstra said, 'We're not starting you.' That's not how you handle somebody.

"They were baiting him. It worked. He stomped off, and then they suspended him again, which is what they wanted to do. And they're going to withhold a bunch of money from him and fight it out later. And Pat Riley knows this player, he knows what his temperament is, he knows what his history is. If they didn't want to extend him last summer, which they made their mind up not to do, and I don't have a problem with that, then they could not expect him to be through this season. I think both of them are guilty and both of them could have behaved better."

Butler was initially suspended for seven games for "conduct detrimental" to the team and then two more after missing a team flight. Now one can surmise his time on the court with Miami is over given (a) this latest suspension and (b) the impending Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Butler entered this season with one official year left on his contract at $48.8 million. He also has a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.

Obviously, Butler would have wanted a long-term extension with the Heat as opposed to having questions about his future lingering over his head this year. However, Miami decided against doing so for the 35-year-old Butler.

He has been a franchise legend for the Heat, though, leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals three times and the NBA Finals twice in five seasons. For his Miami career, Butler has averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

There are perhaps concerns that he's missed 15 or more regular-season games each year since the 2017-18 season. And his age is certainly a factor here as well. He's also a phenomenal postseason player, though, averaging 26.9 PPG in 2022-23 and 27.4 PPG the year prior.

Miami ultimately made its decision to let Butler play out his deal, and that's clearly something the veteran did not take kindly. Now everything has snowballed from there, to the point where this has become one of the messiest divorces between an NBA star and a team in recent memory.

So the waiting game continues until Butler is off Miami and playing for someone else. Feb. 6 is the date to watch, of course, as the Heat look to send him elsewhere and start anew.