Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler’s Agent Has Sizzling Response to Pat Riley’s Comments

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Rex Villas | Last updated 5/7/24

On Monday, Miami Heat president Pat Riley conducted a news conference following his team’s exit from the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and among the subjects he touched on had fans buzzing. That was when he seemingly took a swipe at Heat star Jimmy Butler for missing games in the regular season and in the postseason.

Riley said that Butler should have just kept quiet instead of making comments about the Heat beating the Boston Celtics (and his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers beating the New York Knicks in the first round) if he were playing for those teams. Butler, of course, missed the first-round battle versus the Celtics due to a knee injury he sustained in the Play-in Tournament game against the Sixers.

Via Mike Vorkunov and William Guillory of The Athletic:

“For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?’” Riley said. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston, if you’re not on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut in your criticism of those teams.”

Miami Heat Star Jimmy Butler’s Agent Responds to Pat Riley’s Comments

Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, came to the defense of his client after Riley’s comments.

Via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

“The thought that Jimmy is picking and choosing when to play isn’t reality,” Lee said. “I enjoy watching him play as much, if not more, than anyone. So believe me, I want to see him play every night.

Lee also underscored the fact that Butler missed games because of “valid issues and concerns.”

“But unfortunately he isn’t a robot and injuries and circumstances happen. Prior to the year, we had a meeting to discuss the changing NBA rules and the need to reject load management, And we all understood the assignment. Jimmy’s 22 games missed were all for valid issues and concerns.”

What Riley said about Butler could have an impact on the negotiation table when the time comes for Butler and the Heat to talk about a potential extension. Butler could be a free agent as early as 2025 if he doesn’t pick up his player option for the 2025-26 season worth $52.413 million.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: