Bam Adebayo may have just taken a small but meaningful step toward cooling things off with Jimmy Butler.
On a recent episode of The Makeshift Podcast, the Miami Heat center was asked about his favorite teammates, and Butler’s name came up. Adebayo didn’t dodge the moment. Instead, he praised Butler’s work during Miami’s Finals runs and made it clear he still respects what the veteran brought to the team.
“You have to mention what Jimmy did in those Final runs,” Adebayo said. “That was just sheer will.
Jimmy was putting his head down and going for it. Respect.”
That matters because Butler’s exit left a messy feeling around the Heat, Adebayo included. But even with the sour ending, the two are forever tied together by what they built in Miami.
Butler was the first true star to team with Adebayo, who entered the league as the No. 14 pick in 2017, and the pairing helped drive the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. Miami also reached three Eastern Conference Finals with those two leading the way.
The Heat didn’t always have a loaded roster around them, either. Still, Butler and Adebayo made the most of what they had, squeezing big results out of a group that often had to survive on toughness and timing.
Butler’s arrival changed everything for Miami. The franchise went from wandering without much direction to becoming a legitimate threat, and that shift helped Adebayo grow into a bigger role. He took on more responsibility on both ends, saw his scoring climb, and remained one of the league’s best defenders.
There was also a domino effect from how Butler got to Miami. If the Heat had not landed him in a four-team trade, the franchise’s path could have looked very different, especially with Hassan Whiteside’s contract failing to deliver the expected return. From there, it’s hard to say what other superstar Miami might have had available to chase.
The relationship between the Heat and Butler may still be strained, but history says that doesn’t have to last forever. The article points to Shaquille O’Neal’s split with Pat Riley after the 2007-08 season, when a practice confrontation led to O’Neal being traded to the Phoenix Suns the next day.
Even so, the two Hall of Famers are on good terms now. Butler and Miami could eventually end up in a similar place.
In Other News...
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It is the kind of cross-brand move that fits the franchises identity as much as the citys, giving the Heat a chance to fold basketball into a broader Miami aesthetic that has long been part of their appeal. The partnership will also extend beyond the arena, with a special clothing collection set to hit team stores and online, giving fans another way to buy into the theme even after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger question now is how much Wiggins matters to whatever comes next. He looks positioned to serve as an important role player alongside Miamis stars, but his presence also complicates the kind of trade speculation that tends to follow any team with championship ambitions, including the chatter around Kyrie Irving. If the Heat are serious about keeping this group intact and functional, Wiggins may end up being one of the quietest but most consequential pieces in the room. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Portis Just Framed His Heat Arrival Very Differently Than Milwaukee
Bobby Portis is already sounding like a player who understands why a move to Miami can feel different from almost anywhere else. Dealt from Milwaukee to the Heat alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Portis described the change as a fresh start and pointed to the organizations winning culture as part of what makes the fit appealing. For a veteran who has spent enough time around the league to know how quickly a season can tilt, that kind of reset matters.
Portis also looked back on the Bucks difficult 2022-2023 season, when a younger group had to navigate constant trade speculation and the noise that comes with social media. It was a reminder that his view of the transition is shaped by more than just a new jersey, since he has seen firsthand how unstable things can get when expectations, rumors and results start colliding. Miami will be hoping that perspective comes with him as much as the production does. [Read more 🡒]