The Miami Heat‘s season ending with a resounding thud on Wednesday as they lost by 34 points to the Boston Celtics without Kristaps Porzingis. The Heat were without star forward Jimmy Butler, the greatest hero of the 2024 Eastern Conference Playoffs, and now are left to lick their wounds with questions surrounding who will return next season.
On Saturday, Butler spoke to a reporter trackside at the Miami Grand Prix, sharing his thoughts on Miami that were quite candid in nature.
His thoughts were shared during confident claims that the Heat would have beaten the 2024 Beasts of the East, New York and Boston, had he been healthy. The Heat are now the betting favorite to land one of the NBA’s all-time leading scorers if his Western Conference team trades him.
Butler’s status with the Heat going forward is in question considering that his contract is up after two more years with the team. Now, Butler is affirming a key stance.
Butler’s Love for Miami, RevealedÂ
Butler revealed his feelings on the city of Miami at the famous race, which was held outdoors in ‘The Magic City.’
He said that Miami is a city he ‘adores’ and loves’ according to an interview posted by reporter Will Manso.
Miami’s Offseason Picture for 2024-2025
Butler’s injury threw a wrench in Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra‘s assessment of the 2024-2025 team. The Heat weren’t quite able to see how Butler would be able to mesh with Tyler Herro in an expanded role and Bam Adebayo going up against a stacked Boston Celtics roster.
Would we have seen ‘Playoff Jimmy,’ also known as ‘Himmy Butler,’ and would it have led to more wins, or would Miami have been outclassed badly as they were vs. the Celts?
That is a question the Heat front office will have a hard time extrapolating from this now-completed series. In the meantime, the Heat will look to the draft, free agency, and possible trades to continue to bolster its roster. Miami lost key cogs Max Strus and Caleb Martin during the 2023 offseason.
Heat fans should buckle up for what could be an eventful 2024. According to longtime NBA reporter Zach Lowe, fans should be prepared to hear plenty of Butler trade rumors. The Heat have been linked to 6-foot-6 Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht and 6-foot-6 guard Terrance Shannon Jr. of Illinois, although the NBA Draft cycle is still weeks away.
