Jimmy Butler bounces back, says on Heat drama – ‘We are where we are’

MIAMI – After playing for the first time in two weeks following his seven-game suspension from the Miami Heat, forward Jimmy Butler said Friday night that he and the franchise “are where we are” regarding their relationship less than three weeks before Feb. . 6 trade deadline.

“I guess it’s basketball at this point,” Butler said after scoring 18 points in 33 minutes in a 133-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets at the Kasaya Center. “I know what I’m expected to do while I’m here and I try to do it to the best of my ability, but we are where we are.”

The situation hasn’t changed much since the team suspended Butler a few weeks ago — the star forward still wants a trade away from the shores of Biscayne Bay, and the Heat have yet to find an acceptable deal.

Butler, who arrived at the arena for the team’s afternoon walkthrough, was back in the starting lineup Friday night. He went 7-for-15 from the field and finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a turnover.

“(Got to) get him acclimated again,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said of Butler’s return. “I mean we know what Jimmy is capable of so it’s no shock that he found his rhythm at some point and going forward I feel like he’s going to continue to find his rhythm and we’re going to keep with trying to win games.”

In Friday’s game, Butler looked a far cry from the player who has driven the Heat to the conference finals three times and the NBA finals twice in the past five-plus seasons. His average touch length was 2.75 seconds according to Second Spectrum — his lowest in any game as a member of the Heat — and he averaged 1.6 dribbles per game. touchdowns, which was his second-lowest total of the season.

When asked about Butler’s effort level after the game, however, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra turned the question to Miami’s poor defense against the Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

“I don’t know,” Spoelstra said when asked if Butler needs to be more involved offensively. “Obviously we haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks. He hasn’t played many games so that’s probably part of it.

“I know what stories you’re looking for. I’m not interested in any of that tonight. We got our ass kicked. I know what you want to talk about. I know what I saw out there. From a defensive standpoint, it wasn’t good enough and it’s three games in a row now. We found our identity of how to win games and then (the last) three games we haven’t been able to put it together, commit to that side of the floor, and we’ve paid the price.”

Spoelstra’s sentiment was similar to his pregame media session Friday, when he said the Heat would treat the game as close to normal as possible.

“We work in a league of complexity,” Spoelstra said before the game. “We’re in an unusual place right now, but really everything it is is complex, and we fully plan to operate within that complexity. It’s my job to prepare this team and get it ready to play at a high level level, and that’s what I’m doing, that’s the plan.

“My methods of doing that are really none of your business. You’re all looking for drama, I’m looking to get this team ready to play at a high level. And as for stupid questions like, ‘What’s the temperature of the room?’ or ‘How’s everyone doing?’ It just sounds so dramatic, we’re professionals, we’re ready for tonight’s game, and that’s the only thing we’re looking forward to getting back on the road for a while, and we’re done, so we’re looking forward to this thing tipped.”

But until Butler is traded or the trade deadline passes, the questions will continue. When Butler was asked if the situation could be resolved or if he still wanted to find his “joy” again — which he said after a Jan. 2 game against the Pacers — he issued a “no comment” both times.

When asked what would happen if he was still on the team on Feb. 7, Butler smiled.

“We play a lot of ‘what ifs’ don’t we?” Butler said. “I want to jump.”

Sources have claimed the Heat want to find a deal to accommodate Butler’s wishes. But the Heat are looking for a trade that brings back some combination of players that can help the Heat win now, draft capital, movable short-term salary and young talent.

So far, however, that agreement has not materialized, and it is far from certain that it will be done before the deadline.

Butler made it clear after Friday’s game that he has no issues with his teammates.

“It felt good to get out there and compete and actually run around with these guys,” Butler said. “As much as everybody might think, I don’t have a problem with these guys. These guys are cool. They’re my friends… My beef is not with them and never will be. Never has been. But it felt good to get out there and play some basketball.”