Warriors' Jimmy Butler: Heat Suspended Me Because They Didn't Want Me Around the Team

Jimmy Butler detailed his suspensions from the Miami Heat prior to his trade to the Golden State Warriors.

"I think the suspensions are more because they just don't want me to be around the team," Butler told reporters on Monday. "It wasn't anything that I actually did, because I didn't do nothing too drastic to deserve X amount of games being suspended."

Following his request to be traded, the Heat suspended Butler multiple times for "conduct detrimental to the team" before moving him to Golden State.

First, the team announced that he was suspended for seven games after showing that he no longer wanted to be a member of the organization "through his actions and statements."

Butler later returned to play in three more contests with the Heat, averaging just 13.0 points per game over that brief stretch before he was suspended for two additional games after missing a team flight to Milwaukee.

Before his two-game ban came to an end, Miami announced that he was suspended indefinitely after walking out of practice on Jan. 27.

Butler was eventually dealt to the Warriors as part of a five-team trade, with the Heat receiving a package headlined by Andrew Wiggins and a protected first-round pick in return.

Despite the tumultuous end to his time in Miami, Butler's overall tenure with the team was undoubtedly successful. He earned two All-Star nods and led the Heat to a pair of NBA Finals appearances, winning 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors.

Miami reportedly has a tribute video planned for Butler when he faces off against his former team on Tuesday night.

The 35-year-old is thriving with the Warriors, averaging 17.6 points and 6.5 assists to go along with 1.3 steals per game since the trade. Golden State owns a record of 16-3 in his 19 appearances with the team.

As for the Heat, they snapped a 10-game losing streak on Sunday but still sit at just 30-41 on the season.