Pat Riley Reflects on Jimmy Butler’s Departure and Miami Heat’s Future
May 9, 2025, 04:36 PM ET
MIAMI — In the world of sports, certain images capture the essence of a moment, and for Miami Heat president Pat Riley, one such image holds a special place in his office. It’s a photo of Jimmy Butler, utterly exhausted during Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals, leaning over a barrier at Walt Disney World, catching his breath. This snapshot is a testament to the grit and determination that Butler brought to the court, and it’s moments like these that Riley chooses to remember.
Speaking publicly for the first time since Butler’s tumultuous season with the Heat, which saw him suspended three times and ultimately traded in February to the Golden State Warriors, Riley addressed the situation at his annual end-of-season news conference. Despite the rocky end to Butler’s tenure in Miami, Riley expressed well wishes for the former Heat forward and speculated that Butler, deep down, harbors good intentions for Miami as well.
“There’s no doubt that what happened with Jimmy had a tremendous impact on our team,” Riley acknowledged. “There’s no doubt about it. So the buck stops with me. I’ll take that hit if you want it.”
The seeds of discord between the Heat and Butler may have been sown a year ago during the end-of-season Riley news conference. Butler, sidelined by injury, was unable to participate in Miami’s first-round loss to the Boston Celtics. Shortly thereafter, he made an off-the-cuff remark at a Formula 1 race in South Florida, suggesting that if he had been able to play, the Heat could have defeated the Celtics or the New York Knicks.
Riley didn’t take kindly to that comment, and he made his feelings known at the end-of-year event. From that point on, the relationship between Butler and the Heat seemed strained. The Heat declined to offer Butler a two-year, $113 million extension, and Butler, in turn, expressed that he had lost his joy playing in Miami. The situation reached a breaking point, and the team had no choice but to trade him away.
“I’m not going to apologize for saying no on a contract extension when we didn’t have to,” Riley stated firmly. “And I don’t think I should.”
If any hard feelings linger on the Miami side, Riley didn’t show it during Friday’s conference.
“It’s over,” Riley said. “I wish him well, good luck to him, and I hope deep down in his heart somewhere he wishes us well too.”
The Heat’s season ended with a 10th place finish in the Eastern Conference. They managed to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament as the No. 8 seed but were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing the last two games by 37 and 55 points, respectively.
Looking ahead, Riley made it clear that he doesn’t expect the Heat to “run it back” with the same roster next season. This means the team will be actively pursuing trades this summer. By Riley’s count, the Heat have retooled their roster no fewer than 14 times in his 29 offseasons in Miami.
- “I think we do have to make changes,” Riley said. “There’s no doubt there has to be some change.”
Riley, who turned 80 in March and is wrapping up 30 years with the Heat, has no plans to step down anytime soon.
“I just turned 80, and I’m proud of it and 80 is the new 60,” Riley quipped. “I mean, that’s how I look at it. I feel great. I am competitive as hell.”
He mentioned that he has met with managing general partner Micky Arison and team CEO Nick Arison, both of whom have encouraged him to continue forward.
There is a sense of urgency, not because of Riley’s age, but because the Heat are not interested in a prolonged retooling process to return to championship contention.
“It’s a process,” Riley said. “But I’m not going to deal with a long process, nor is ownership.”
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
