Jimmy Butler’s painting in Wynwood, Miami, has been modified to reflect his desire to leave the Miami Heat. According to CBS Miami, Miami-based artist Kyle Holbrook has been updating Butler’s look in the wake of recent events. Holbrook has been painting an unofficial team mural at the building located at 3500 NW Fifth Avenue for years.
The rebuilt painting features a badge that says “Clearance Trade!” on Butler’s jersey. In addition, he has a coffee mug with the words “Please Pay me!” on it. Not only that, but the mural also features a tiny picture of Butler sporting a headband that says “I Quit.”
It’s safe to say that Butler’s actions have not pleased Holbrook. Normally, he adds new players and viral game moments to the enormous mural, but this addition was undoubtedly negative. But it’s unlikely that the six-time All-Star will miss a lot of sleep because of this.
Butler wants to leave and doesn’t seem to care if he causes rifts in the process. This season, he has averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He seems to have given his squad a lot of issues already.
Butler received a seven-game suspension from the Heat on January 3 for a number of incidents that were harmful to the club during the season, but especially in the last few weeks. They have stated that they are prepared to move on and would be open to hearing any trade offers for him.
The Heat had made it apparent that Butler was not leaving when the first reports of his desire to leave first appeared. Butler would not be dealt, according to a statement issued by team president Pat Riley on December 27. A week later, that position shifted, and although we are unable to pinpoint the exact moment that caused the situation to alter, there was one noteworthy incident that occurred in the interim.
Butler said he can no longer play with joy for the Heat following a game against the Indiana Pacers on January 2. The front staff likely decided it would be best to simply ship the 35-year-old out of town after he made it very obvious in public that he wanted to leave. He has a $52.4 million player option for 2025–2026.
An NBA insider sees Jimmy Butler staying with the Heat.
Although Butler and the Heat appear amenable to a split, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes he may remain with the team beyond the trade deadline. League sources, according to Vecenie, think the Heat may decide to keep onto Butler because they will have trouble finding a good deal.
Because it’s difficult to come up with a two-team agreement that achieves what Miami would be seeking for, I have a fair dose of doubt that these arrangements make sense for all the clubs involved. Additionally, I began to question whether Miami would call Butler’s bluff and keep him on the team for the remainder of the season.
By doing this, the Heat would have him on the books going into June and could either persuade him to opt out and move on or convince him to opt in and accept a trade elsewhere. The LA Clippers did just that with Paul George this past summer, and league sources say it’s a plausible scenario that shouldn’t be ruled out.
However, it might not be the best option to retain Butler. They will not benefit from having him play for them again, much less for the remainder of the season, as he has checked out. In the upcoming weeks, it will be interesting to observe how this situation develops.
“It’s Only About Money” is Jimmy Butler’s response to the Miami Heat trade drama.
