Ira Winderman: Bumper sticker for Heat season? 'I survived Jimmy Butler.'

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Apr 13, 2025

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MIAMI — Typically after a season like this, whenever it ends, a major top-to-bottom review would be in order, over how a team can go from 10 games over .500 a year ago and from the NBA Finals two years ago to the depths of the Eastern Conference.

This time around, there will be no need.

Because the problem already is gone, or, better put, has been resolved.

Yes, there has been significant regression by Jaime Jaquez Jr., disappearance by Terry Rozier, more injury issues for Nikola Jovic.

Yes, Bam Adebayo got off to a miserable offensive start, Tyler Herro dropped off in the immediate wake of his initial All-Star berth, Kel’el Ware was unable to back up his January Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.

Yes, Erik Spoelstra had late-game meltdowns, Pat Riley was unable to augment significantly at the trading deadline, and Andy Elisburg’s salary-cap wizardry couldn’t get the Heat out of the luxury tax.

No matter.

Because when the story of the 2024-25 Miami Heat will be written, when the final chapter is complete, be it in the play-in round or beyond, it will come down to one thing and one thing only.

One single, solitary reason why it all went to … (poop emoji here).

Because Jimmy Butler took a giant (poop emoji here, again) in the locker room.

Yes, the revisionist history goes back to Riley’s challenge at the end of last season that Butler be present more often before a contract extension is offered, of Riley suggesting Butler speak less about what he could have done instead of actually doing.

For two-plus months, the Heat locker room was toxic.

For two-plus months, those most affected held their tongues.

For two-plus months, the sabotage grew exponentially.

Rob two months from any NBA team and they would stand where the Heat stand heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Actually, put most through such a grinder of a player going scorched earth and even play-in would seem improbable.

Yes, teams lose players to injuries for extended periods.

Yes, leading men are dealt over the course of seasons.

Yes, coaching changes alter agendas.

In each case, those are definitive NBA realities, but each also leaves a window to pick up the pieces, forge forward with a Plan B.

But in December it was the Heat issuing a statement that they would not be trading Butler, wouldn’t be bullied.

In January, it was Butler refusing to play as Butler and then just not playing at all.

And in February a trade that arguably only returned cents on the dollar (even if it did make sense).

Without that drama, without all of it, the Heat aren’t where they stand at the moment, staring up at the majority of the Eastern Conference.

Because Adebayo came around to have a typical Adebayo season.

Because Herro came around to again find his All-Star level.

Because Ware got himself back into the All-Rookie discussion.

As for Jaquez, Rozier and Jovic being off or out of sight, it allowed for breakthroughs from the likes of Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell, Alec Burks.

In the end, that made this a season about surviving trauma, in the context of NBA trauma.

Should the Heat have seen it coming? That very much remains a Riley question, one that he needs to be addressed after not addressing it in the wake of the Butler trade to the Warriors.

Should Spoelstra have appreciated that gearing the offense toward Herro would lead to Butler pushback? Also a valid question for when this is over.

Should Elisburg have had cap, tax and apron solutions in his back pocket to perhaps realize more relief with a Butler trade? A reasonable follow-up to consider at season’s end, now with ongoing Wiggins and Kyle Anderson money on the books.

Yet the sense is that none of that will be forthcoming, because such candor only would lead to reaction visceral to the point of serving no practical purpose.

But it also is why a team at these depths also will have nothing to apologize for when this is over.

With Jimmy Butler, the Heat were a play-in team.

Without Jimmy Butler, the Heat are a play-in team.

When it was play-in with Jimmy Butler, that felt like regular-season failure.

Now it feels like a team at least attempting to regain its footing for better days ahead.

When the final words are written on this season, no matter when they are written, they should fit neatly onto a bumper sticker of whatever Spoelstra, Riley, Elisburg, Micky Arison and Nick Arison are driving these days: “I survived Jimmy Butler 2024-25.”