Heat's Pat Riley 'Not Going to Apologize' for Not Offering Jimmy Butler Max Contract
Following an extended period during the 2024-25 season in which Jimmy Butler seemed to constantly be at odds with the Miami Heat prior to being traded, Pat Riley doesn't have regrets about the way things played out between the two sides.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Riley said he's "not going to apologize" for not presenting a max contract offer to Butler last summer.
Riley did wish Butler well going forward now that he is a member of the Golden State Warriors while hoping the six-time All-Star would return the courtesy to the Heat.
The rift between Butler and the Heat seemed to start last summer when Riley responded to his comments about how they would have defeated the Boston Celtics in the playoffs if he had been healthy enough to play.
Riley said his initial thought upon seeing those comments was that Butler might be trolling before adding, "If you're not on the court playing against Boston, or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut."
Butler's contract also proved to be a dividing line with the team. In the midst of Riley being adamant they wouldn't trade the star forward, Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Dec. 26 that Butler was "disappointed" to not receive the two-year, $113 million max extension offer he was eligible to sign.
Just over one week later, Butler was suspended for seven games by the Heat for what they described as "multiple instances" of conduct detrimental to the team.
Butler played three games after that suspension ended before receiving a two-game ban after missing the Heat's team flight for a road game in Milwaukee on Jan. 23. They followed that up by suspending him for a minimum of five games for walking out of a team practice.
The Heat eventually relented on their trade stance by sending him to Golden State on Feb. 6. The Warriors gave Butler the deal he wanted, agreeing to a two-year max extension as part of the trade.
Miami's season cratered without Butler. The Heat put together a 24-33 record when he wasn't with them, between games missed due to injuries/suspension and after the trade. The team was 13-12 with him in the lineup.
Even though the Heat were able to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, they were swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The average margin of defeat in that series was an NBA-record 30.5 points per game.
The Heat's 37-45 mark in the regular season was their worst record in a single season since 2014-15.
