Even Jimmy Butler’s good friend Kyle Lowry is sick of Hatt’s antics

There is no doubt about that Jimmy Butler’s clash with the Miami Heat is the NBA’s most dramatic story ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. However, the six-time All-Star annoyed the organization well before he publicly requested a trade on Jan. 2, via NBA insider Jake Fisher.

“Butler was clearly established by that point (2022) as the unquestioned key to the Heat, essentially given the franchise’s green light to come and go and play as he pleased,” Fisher recounted. “I remember going to Miami’s morning showdown in Oklahoma City in December 2022; Butler left too early with Kyle Lowry in step. Keep in mind, this was before Butler’s injuries and intermittent availability, according to league sources, became a source of palpable tension within the organization.

Lowry helped Butler leads Miami to the NBA Finals that season, which he lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets. That success, however, was despite the personality of the latter player at the time.

“Sources say that even Lowry, who remains off the court like the rest of Butler, has grown tired of his teammate’s stubborn tendencies on the floor,” Fisher continued. “Currently in his second season with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers, Lowry declined to comment last week when asked for an interview.

While “Jimmy Buckets” is dynamic and exciting on the field, it seems his dramatic tendencies can test the patience of those around him. Regardless, the point of no return has been reached in Miami as both parties attempt to finalize the divorce.

Butler, however, will have to play out the rest of the season with the Heat if they don’t find a trade partner by Feb. 6. The five-time All-NBA team is eligible to return after serving a seven-game suspension Friday against the Nuggets.

Butler’s dissatisfaction with Miami started over the summer when the organization declined to offer him a two-year, $113 million contract extension, via Anthony Chang of the Miami Herald. Pat Riley and company did not give up, however, and the five-time member of the All-NBA defensive team so he “lost his joy”, as he expressed on January 2 via ESPN.