Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley have taken over the mainstream media. Their beef keeps intensifying. Apparently, the Heat aren’t satisfied with the 7 game suspension they handed to Butler, they want to punish him more. Chris Haynes reported that the Miami side is mulling over reclassifying Butler’s suspension as “refusing to provide services.” This would be a shift from their original stance, which was to suspend their talisman for conduct detrimental to the team.

By doing so, they could double Jimmy Butler’s fines, according to Haynes. But a senior analyst has some advice for Pat Riley and his front office. Stephen A. Smith discussed Riley’s leadership and the challenges the Miami Heat are facing in the current NBA landscape.

“So, I look at it from the standpoint that you wish that things could end amicably, uh, and unfortunately, when somebody walks into your office and tells you to your face, they want to get traded like Jimmy Butler did recently with Pat Riley, that’s got to sting,” said Smith on First Take. Imagine being Pat Riley, a bossman who’s built a dynasty, only to have one of your star players, Butler, sit down and say he wants out. Ouch. It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially when you’ve invested so much in someone.

“The Miami Heat have to walk away with this. Pat Riley is class personified. He’s a leader. He’s a winner.” he added. Smith’s throwing props to Pat Riley for being the ultimate professional. He’s like the Godfather of the Heat—leadership, success, and legacy all wrapped up in one. But as good as Riley is, SAS is also hinting that there’s room for tweaking.

But he does not say so without giving Riley his flowers. Smith said he’s got admiration for Pat and the Heat’s crew, but he’s not blind to what’s going on behind the scenes. “Unfortunately, we’re different dealing with a different generation of players”

Meanwhile, in a similar train of thought, Heat legend Dwayne Wade also shared his opinion. Wade said, “I wanted them to know if you don’t want to be here and the way things are working here… then don’t be here.”

If you’re not down for the Heat’s culture, then peace out. Fair.

He added, “LeBron only stayed 4 years, it wasn’t ran the way he wanted it to, it wasn’t ran the way Wade wanted it to. It’s ran the way Pat Riley is going to run it.” If arguably the greatest player in the world didn’t get his way at Miami, it seems unlikely Butler will.

But where does he end up next? Not at Golden State, it seems.

The Warriors show no interest in Jimmy Butler

The Warriors have hit a rough patch, sitting at 12th in the Western Conference, and yet, they’re not in any rush to make a major move. Despite the whispers about stars like Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, and Jimmy Butler potentially being on the market, the Warriors are holding back. Chandler Parsons strongly believes the franchise isn’t jumping into the deep end just yet.

He suggests that if Golden State truly wanted to land one of these big names, they would have already made the deal happen. On Run it Back on FanDuel TV, Parsons explained, “Any deal that’s out there clearly doesn’t reach the standards of what they wanna do.”

The former player also made it clear that any trade would need approval from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Parsons believes that if those two were really pushing for someone like Butler, the Bay would have sealed the deal by now.

So why is Golden State staying patient? Parsons gets it—they’re not finding the right piece to get them back to title contention. Instead, they’re betting on their young guys, like Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Moses Moody, developing into valuable assets.

It’s a waiting game, hoping those players can eventually bring back the star legacy that will in turn help them win. It’s all about playing the long game, but will it pay off? Only time will tell.