Miami Heat Star Jimmy Butler has been serving a seven-game suspension for detrimental conduct, and his ban will end this week. But even with his return, Butler’s future with the team looks anything but solid. Now, reports emerged how Butler has “refused to provide services” for Heat. The saga now took another unexpected turn, and it hasn’t just frustrated fans. It’s put the Miami Heat organization under fire, drawing reactions from all corners—most notably from Heat legend Dwyane Wade.

In his The Why with Dwyane Wade podcast, Wade expressed how he’s fed up with how public opinion has shifted against the team, calling it a stain on Miami’s reputation. “I don’t like this stain on our organization,” he said. “I don’t like the fact that people feel that they can come in and talk about… that whole notion that because of Jimmy Butler’s situation, how Pat Riley has handled things, that guys are not going to come to Miami.”

He didn’t sugarcoat his frustration, saying, “Y’all can quit that shit right now.” But the 3x NBA champ wasn’t done. Wade hit back hard against the idea that Miami isn’t a desirable destination.

“It ain’t going to be a day that a basketball player ain’t going to make $300 million to play in Miami,” he declared. “It will not be a day that you ain’t going to raise your hand and go make $300 million to be the star of Miami. So let’s quit that narrative.”

Yet Wade also acknowledged the elephant in the room—a split between Butler and Miami seems inevitable. “It’s going to be a breakup at some point, obviously,” he admitted.

During this seven-game ban, Butler got fined $336,543 for each of the games missed. That’s about $2.4 million, or 1/145th of his $48.8 million salary. But now, things got more complicated.

“League sources inform me that the Miami Heat could consider changing the designation of Jimmy Butler’s suspension from ‘conduct detrimental to the team’ to ‘refusing to provide services.’ Such a change would double the fine tally for Jimmy,” Chris Haynes reported. So if it happens, Butler will be fined a staggering $4.8 million.

However, do you know Dwyane Wade blames himself for giving Butler “bad habits.” 

Dwyane Wade’s Jimmy Butler regret

It’s impossible to think of the Miami Heat without picturing Dwyane Wade. But back in 2016, the Heat legend traded his South Beach legacy for a shot with his hometown Chicago Bulls. While fans were excited about the reunion, Wade now looks back with a tinge of regret, especially when it comes to mentoring Jimmy Butler.

On the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Wade admitted he could’ve been a better influence. “I set a bad precedent, I apologize,” he shared, hinting at lessons he didn’t pass along to Butler, then a rising star on the Bulls roster.

“Jimmy Butler was on that team, so he probably picked up some bad habits from me,” Wade revealed. “I was old…I was like, ‘man, I get to live the NBA experience.’ I wasn’t a good vet to those guys, man. It wasn’t about y’all, it was about me, so I apologize.”

Wade also acknowledged his own struggles contributed to the situation. While his stats still impressed most players, he felt the weight of no longer meeting his elite standards. “I still could hoop, but to my standards, I was like, ‘alright, you ain’t him no more, but I still got my status, so let me use this card.’” It wasn’t just about mentorship—it was also about Wade trying to enjoy his final NBA chapters.

Sadly, Wade and Butler didn’t align in their prime. Butler left the Bulls and evolved into the star we see today, even emulating Wade’s path to Miami. However, their bond might face new challenges now as the Butler-Heat drama unfolds.