A cold war seems imminent in the case of Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. A once-celebrated star for the franchise is now on the brink of leaving. In a revealing press conference, Butler revealed there would “soon” be news about his dismissal and as far as joy goes, he doesn’t feel it can strike again in Vice City. The development comes just weeks after his agent Bernard Lee crushed reports of his client wanting a trade. Now, not only is he acting unusually, but an anonymous executive has also issued a warning to the 35-year-old.

The drama goes back to last season’s playoffs when Pat Riley publicly asked Jimmy Butler to “keep your mouth shut” for his comments. The strained relationship then saw no extension for Jimmy Butler, who was eligible for a two-year $113 million contract. Still, it seemed this season would be his chance to prove things to Riley. But at present, everything seems all lost.

Jimmy Butler has resorted to the public approach to make his thoughts known. However, an anonymous executive cautioned the vet about doing so. Less about the player anymore, the warning was more related to Pat Riley’s ruthless character. “You cannot intimidate Pat Riley…” a ‘prominent’ agent told Brian Windhorst. And, “You never want to get in a fight with someone who has nothing to lose. And Pat has nothing to lose,” one rival executive told Tim Bontemps & ESPN.

Amidst the widespread chaos, Bernard Lee is also making some headlines. Evan Sidery, one of the popular hoops insiders who constantly reported on JB wanting out of Miami, shared his activity. Lee had blocked Sidery on X soon after the viral agent gave “no comment” on Jimmy Butler putting in his trade request. As the deadline nears, Butler could be a star who teams heavily monitor.

But on the other end, will the Miami Heat step down from their stance?

Why Miami Heat might not trade Jimmy Butler

At the peak of the Jimmy Butler trade rumors, everybody felt it was inevitable for the Miami Heat to make a move and offload the star from their ranks. Not only is he the highest earner, but the playoff specialist has been relatively quiet since his return, only scoring nine points in each of the two games. Still, before his comeback from illness, Pat Riley made an unusual statement.

“We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear – We are not trading Jimmy Butler,” the team president clarified once and for all.

And disdain is not the reason.

Holding out moving Jimmy Butler could be beneficial for the Heat. Yes, his leaving for free is better for the org from a financial view. According to Bobby Marks, the Heat will be $47 million below the tax threshold, giving them access to a number of incentives.

Moreover, high earners such as Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson will also have expiring contracts on their salary table, providing them an opportunity to make way for a sensational signing if the opportunity arises. Of course, if JB decides to opt in, the privileges will go along with it…

But given his state and his desire to be “somewhat dominant” again, it doesn’t look like vengeance would be on his mind. However, with the franchise potentially wasting a year of Jimmy Butler in the case of ‘denying an attractive club for him’, it would harbor such feelings. However, nothing can be said for certain at this point. Where do you think all this is going to end up?