Jimmy Butler saw his trade wish granted by the Miami Heat, but one Basketball Hall of Famer called him a “crybaby” for how it all went down.
Tim Hardaway Sr. commented on Butler’s eventual trade to the Golden State Warriors, a team the former became a star with in the 1990s, during a SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance.
“I didn’t agree with what he was doing — you’re under contract,” Hardaway said.
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“[Butler’s] a baby. [He’s] a crybaby because they said no to you.”
Heat president Pat Riley initially said the team had no intentions of trading Butler back in December after reports came out that he preferred to be moved.
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However, Butler’s response to that was ultimately something that led to “conduct detrimental to the team.”
What did Butler do? He reportedly walked out of a practice and missed a team flight for a road trip, leading to suspensions on both occasions.
Finally, the Heat gave in before the NBA trade deadline, sending Butler to the Warriors.
How Butler handled everything is something Hardaway couldn’t fathom in his playing days.
“We used to get said ‘no’ to us all the time, and we used to know how to take it,” he explained. “It is what it is. It’s a question. You get a yes or a no. You might not like the question, but you can’t deviate and mess up the team.”
Butler has requested trades in the past, especially during his sour ending in Minnesota with the Timberwolves. However, he isn’t the only NBA star to do so in recent seasons, as James Harden and Kawhi Leonard can attest.
And as Hardaway mentioned, stars in the past also requested trades, but had those denied. How Butler handled the situation, though, is different than what Hardaway has seen.
Since the trade, Butler has played four games with his new Warriors squad, averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in those contests. Golden State won three of those four games.
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