The Miami Heat, as expected, were brushed aside by the Boston Celtics in the first round. Whatever hope the Heat had of pulling off a series upset against the team with the best record not just in the Eastern Conference but in the entire NBA went out the window the moment it was known that Jimmy Butler was unlikely to see action in that matchup because of an injury.
Pat Riley on What Bothers The Miami Heat
Butler still has one guaranteed year left on his current contract plus a player option worth $52.413 million in the 2025-26 NBA campaign when he’s already 36 years old. The window to win a title with Butler is closing, and Miami President Pat Riley is very much aware of that.
Via Mike Vorkunov and William Guillory of The Athletic:
“Who moves the needle the most on our team is Jimmy,” Riley said. “Jimmy moves the needle the most. He’s an incredible player. What I said at the beginning about change is he’s got to give it some thought himself for this team to be what he wants it to be, and what I want it to be, and (owner) Micky (Arison) and everybody else. This five-year window, we’ve been pretty successful. We haven’t won the chip and I think that bothers everybody.”
When healthy, Butler remains one of the best players in the NBA. But that’s where the problem was for the Heat in the playoffs, as Butler was never there to help them on the court against the Celtics. (He suffered a knee injury in the Play-in Tournament versus his former team Philadelphia 76ers.)
The Heat could have a busy summer ahead, as they look to find ways to strengthen their roster for the 2024-25 NBA season.
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