Bill Simmons slaps Jimmy Butler, Heat with harsh NBA reality check

The Miami Heat have been among the league’s title-contending teams ever since Jimmy Butler signed with the team in 2019. Since 2020, the Heat have played and won the second-most playoff games, which is no mean feat, even though it hasn’t resulted in a championship quite yet. But in the early goings of the 2024-25 season, there is a sense that, perhaps, the Heat’s championship window with their current core has already slammed shut.

Bill Simmons of The Ringer definitely thinks so; in a guest appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Simmons thinks that the Heat have fallen behind as other teams have gotten better.

“It’s a wrap [for the Heat’s championship window]. That’s another example of the league got better and left a couple teams behind. That’s the same team they had three, four years ago basically. I think, if you’re gonna ask me, what’s more realistic, Miami making Round 2 or Jimmy Butler being on another team in February? By far, it’s Jimmy Butler. By far,” Simmons said.

Indeed, the Heat’s core trio of Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro has been around since the 2019-20 season, not to mention that Duncan Robinson, after being involved in countless of trade rumors over the years, is still with the team. While this core is good enough to keep the Heat semi-competitive, they do need a piece or two to bolster their chances of mounting another deep playoff run, and at this point, they don’t have much in the way of assets to get blockbuster trades done.

Butler, who has been phenomenal for the Heat especially during the two years wherein they made the NBA Finals (2020 and 2023), is also getting up there in age. He recently turned 35 years old this past September, and there have been plenty of signs that he’s currently on a decline. Moreover, the Heat may not have the depth anymore to withstand an extended absence from him during the regular season, something that his track record indicates is a huge possibility.

It’s difficult to count out the Heat as long as they have Erik Spoelstra at the helm. But the Heat will have to retool soon enough, and one way to do so may be to trade Butler, who’s in the final year of his deal.

Is it time for the Heat to hit the reset button?

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The 2023 offseason may prove to be a pivotal one with regards to the dwindling life span of the Jimmy Butler-led Heat squad. After making it to the NBA Finals, Damian Lillard was available on the trade market for the Heat, but in the end, they missed out after the Milwaukee Bucks outbid them.

Now, the Heat may not have the requisite firepower to replicate what they did in 2020 and 2023. Their depth is also a bit suspect, more so than any other seasons. Time is definitely ticking on the Heat, and they may have to decide whether or not it’ll be best for them to trade Butler away to replenish their empty asset cupboard, building around Bam Adebayo instead.