Max Strus didn’t sugarcoat what it was like sharing a locker room with Jimmy Butler.
The former Miami Heat wing, who played with Butler from 2020 to 2023, said Butler could be warm one moment and icy the next, even with teammates he was close to. Strus described the dynamic on Pardon My Take with a blunt story about how unpredictable Butler could feel day to day.
“He’s also like an asshole towards you. One day you’ll look at him, and he won’t even, like, acknowledge you.
You could go to dinner with him the night before, and you’re his best friend; then the next morning you go to practice, and he won’t even look at you or say hi to you. It’s like 'Damn, what did I do at dinner last night?'
Then the game starts, and he’s your best friend again," Strus said about Butler on Pardon My Take.
Strus’ perspective carries some weight. During his Miami run, he was more than just a shooter. He became one of the Heat’s most dependable perimeter threats while also doing the little things that fit right into the team’s Heat Culture identity - chasing loose balls, crashing the glass, and bringing energy every night.
That stretch in Miami left a mark on him, even after he moved on to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023. And Butler, as Strus made clear, was impossible to ignore.
That’s been part of Butler’s reputation for years. He’s built a reputation as one of the league’s most respected players over the past decade, and his Miami tenure only added to that, with two trips to the NBA Finals even if the Heat fell short of the title each time. His personality has long stood out too, from the practice-session story involving the Minnesota Timberwolves’ starting lineup and third-stringers to the viral ESPN interview that followed.
Now Butler is with the Golden State Warriors, where he’s around other big personalities like Draymond Green and Stephen Curry. Strus’ comments only add another layer to the picture: Butler can be a difficult teammate to read, but when the game starts, the switch flips.
In Other News...
Heat Offseason Guard Gamble Suddenly Looks A Lot Smarter
The Heats backcourt spending has taken on a very different shape this offseason, and it is starting to look like a deliberate bet on value rather than a chase for the biggest price tag. Miami brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. on a $6 million deal and is expected to add Klay Thompson on a two-year contract worth about $6.5 million per year, moves that followed the decision to move on from Norman Powell, whose next deal likely would have climbed much higher.
For a team that has spent plenty of time balancing talent and flexibility, the appeal is obvious. Miami appears to have preserved more room to manage the rest of the roster while still adding perimeter shooting and experience, but the real test will come once the games start and the fit has to hold up on the floor. If the guard rotation works the way the Heat hope, the financial patience could end up looking like one of the cleaner decisions of the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Made A Risky Wing Bet Fans Will Debate
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Around the conference, the roster churn has touched plenty of familiar names for Heat watchers, too, with Miami, Orlando, Boston and Cleveland all in the mix on contract and trade fronts. One of the more notable moves came in a five-team deal that sent Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers, another reminder that the margins are getting thinner as teams keep taking swings to hold their place in the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompson Already Faces Real Heat Pressure From One Rising Wing
Klay Thompsons fit in Miami is already being weighed against a younger, more versatile option in Pelle Larsson, and the comparison says a lot about where the Heat are trying to go. Thompson still brings the kind of veteran shooting and floor spacing that can help open the offense, but Larsson has been carving out a case of his own with defense, energy and a growing ability to create his own shot.
The real question for Miami is whether that mix eventually shifts the starting conversation. Thompsons age and injury history are part of the calculus, while Larssons progress as both a defender and scorer gives the Heat a possible in-house answer if his efficiency from deep keeps climbing. For a team that values two-way reliability, the competition could become one of the more interesting lineup decisions of the season. [Read more 🡒]