Done Deal: Miami Heat has finally trade Jimmy Butler as their key man
Jimmy Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, says Butler has no plans of leaving Miami Heat
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler rarely responds to critics.
Luckily, he has his agent, Bernie Lee, to do it for him.
Lee recently responded to ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins suggesting the Heat should trade Butler because he has no chance of winning a title in Miami. Perkins picked the Philadelphia 76ers as the perfect destination for Butler, pairing him with him Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Perkins also said moving Butler could help the Heat turn the team over to youngsters Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Jaime Jaquez.
“It’s time for the Heat to start they rebuild of their culture with the young guys and it’s not a bad thing,” Perkins said earlier this week on NBA Today. “I just don’t know how much Jimmy got left of Playoff Jimmy. He’s 34, a lot of miles, a lot of minutes, a lot of wear and tear on his body. I just don’t see the Miami Heat this season being a legit title contender.”
Lee, who is often outspoken on social media, offered his response via X, formerly known as Twitter. He said Butler has no plans of leaving because he loves Miami and the Heat organization.
“Put simply he’s never going anywhere.. EVER,” Lee posted. “He’s going to win a championship in Miami.”
Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler’s agent Bernard Lee made a definitive statement about his client’s future with the Heat franchise.
Lee stated that Butler is “never going anywhere,” claiming that the six-time All-Star will win a championship with the Heat.
Heat fans certainly will love to hear that Butler plans on staying with the franchise for the long haul, especially since he’s led the team to a ton of success since signing with the Heat prior to the 2019-20 season.
The Heat have made the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the four seasons that Butler has been on the team (this season is fifth with the franchise) reaching the NBA Finals twice.
While the Heat have yet to win a title in the Butler era, they did make an improbable run to the Finals as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference last season. Butler had a major role in that, averaging 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game across 22 postseason appearances last season.
This season, Miami has not gotten off to a great start, and the team dealt with a major losing streak before beating the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. Butler led the way in that game, scoring 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field.
The Heat currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 25-23 record. While that may be concerning for some teams, the Heat showed in the 2022-23 season that they just need to make the playoffs, and then they can go on a run.
Kendrick Perkins may think that Butler needs to leave Miami, but it’s fairly clear that isn’t in the plans.
Not only is Butler’s agent stating that the star is going to stay with the Heat, but Miami made a win-now move by trading veteran Kyle Lowry and a draft pick to acquire Terry Rozier this season.
