On January 3rd, Beijing time, Taylor Herro officially angered Jimmy Butler! After seeing his post-game remarks, he immediately applied for a trade, indicating that he is no longer willing to be teammates and has completely broken ties.
After the Heat lost to the Pacers, the internal conflict within the team finally erupted. As the core player of the team, Butler has been playing poorly in consecutive games, showing a lack of professionalism. Despite earning a $50 million annual salary from the Heat, he is not actively participating in the game, which reflects a problematic attitude.
Following the game, when Taylor Herro made his stance clear, Butler also completely broke ties with his teammates, making it clear that they can no longer be considered as brothers. After the loss, Herro decided to clarify the contradiction, emphasizing that he is currently the core of the team and a key player being groomed, with a salary close to the maximum.
During an interview, a journalist asked Herro how to get Butler more involved in the game. Herro bluntly responded, "I don't know, I'm not the coach." Butler also mentioned that he doesn't feel happy at the Heat anymore, to which Herro retorted, "I think there's no problem with the atmosphere in our locker room. We're all happy." The implication is clear: everyone else is happy except for you, so who exactly is the problem?
Herro's remarks have exposed the tension, and upon hearing Herro's interview, Butler dropped the act and formally announced his intention to force a big trade, stating that he is willing to go to any team except staying in Miami. It seems that Herro's words touched a sensitive nerve in Butler, especially after a loss where he didn't perform well, only to have his teammate openly say that everyone is happy except for him. Given Butler's character, could he tolerate such a situation?
Moreover, Butler is already isolated or has actively isolated himself from the team. During the game, when the entire Heat team stood up to cheer for their teammates, Butler was the only one sitting alone, feeling out of place.
Now that the conflict is fully exposed, Butler is unhappy with Pat Riley and Spoelstra. If they don't offer him a final contract for his retirement or facilitate a trade, isn't that cutting off someone's livelihood? On the Heat's side, it's clear that Herro, Riley, Adebayo, and others have formed a united front. If you underperform, they will isolate and criticize you. How could Butler tolerate being publicly humiliated by the second-in-command of his own team during a post-game interview? Wouldn't he want to leave?