The Miami Heat officially acquired star small forward Jimmy Butler on Saturday, a move president Pat Riley has been trying to make for quite some time.
When Butler requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, the Heat aggressively tried to acquire Butler. The Philadelphia 76ers ended up getting the four-time All-Star, but Miami and Butler were still linked to one another even after Butler landed in Philly.
Now, Jimmy is in South Beach and Riley is thrilled to have him. Riley also spoke about adding Meyers Leonard. Miami acquired Leonard in the Hassan Whiteside trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.
“We are thrilled to acquire Jimmy Butler and Meyers Leonard,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “They are both players who fit the mold of HEAT culture perfectly. Jimmy’s leadership, tenacity, professionalism, defensive disposition and his ability to create his own shot will improve our roster immediately. Any time you can add a four-time All-Star to your roster, you make that move. Meyers is a versatile big, a great shooter, can play inside and block shots. The addition of both men puts us in a great position to win, and we welcome them to the Miami HEAT organization.”
This past season with the Timberwolves and Sixers, Butler averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from beyond the arc and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Butler and Miami legend Dwyane Wade are very close friends. Now, Butler will try and make the post-Wade era in South Beach electrifying.
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