Jimmy Butler moved from the Miami Heat to trade deadlines and the team has since spiraled downwards.
After trading Jimmy Butler, expectations for the fever in Miami were low, realistically. This is not low.
Miami now loses nine consecutive games. The latest game was a 116-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons after a dramatic Cade Cunningham winner in the final seconds.
An unprecedented losing streak has left the Heatstar morale, and Jaime Jaquez talks about the players’ mental sacrifices.
The record could potentially go up to 10 when they face the Rockets next before a possible rest against the Hornets who beat them during this recent run.
The team’s status encouraged a big debate, with Kendrick Perkins calling for Pat Riley to remain in the role of consultant, while Jeff Teague insisted that the team president must quit altogether.
During the Run It Back discussion, two former NBA stars discussed the spiral situation in the Miami Heat.
Chandler Parsons believes the pain in the Miami Heat is temporary and will recover next season.
He commented: “You’re going to remove players from the roster. He’s not there anymore now. It’s going to hurt the team. You’re going to strip off the best players on the team and add a piece that can’t rival him.
“They had to do this, so it seems like when the heat is trying to find responsibility.
“Does it look bad? Just as they said the warriors were flying and Jimmy Butler was fit, he never seemed happy singing praises for the franchise.
He pointed out Bam Adebayo, the triple factor of Tyler Herro, and the fascinating location in Miami. Everything came together and became a fascinating destination for free agents to join the roster reloaded from 2025-26.
“But at the end of the day we have Tyler Hero. They have Bam (Adebayo), the town of Miami, and they are always trying to attract free agents.
“It doesn’t look good right now. They’re losing, so I don’t feel good right now, and then the warriors win.
This positive review is one way to look at the fever situation, and I hope it will essentially exempt the fever of responsibility and be able to readjust through next season. However, playing for the team to finish 2024-25 could undermine the reputation heading towards free agency, highlighting concerns that have prompted Jimmy Butler’s desire to leave.
Former Clippers star Lou Williams has a tough outlook on the situation, believing Butler’s concerns are proven correctly.
He said: “Jimmy won. You look at this heat team, they still have two All-Stars on that roster, but you’ve got Jimmy Butler removed and the wheels fall. And for that, you have to question everything we’ve been told, everything that we’ve been made to believe about the hot culture.
“They’re sure they’ll reload, and they do what they need to do. They do their due diligence in the summer.
“But nine consecutive losses, this is a huge setback.”
Pat Riley continues to helm the heat, and he does a big job ahead of him heading to the boat, but with Adebayo and Herlo, he doesn’t start completely from scratch.