Jimmy Butler has received his fair share of criticism over his look to force a move from the Miami Heat, however, he has now been defended by Lou Williams.
Butler is currently serving his third separate Heat suspension, this one indefinitely, as he continues to cause conduct issues at the Heat.
The veteran guard has not hidden his desire to leave the team since the start of the trade window following a major falling out with GM Pat Riley over financial disagreements.
While Butler is eager to leave, a deal that suits the Heat is yet to come to througition with the side refusing to take on Bradley Beal’s contract.
Many pundits and former players have been critical of Butler’s attitude but Williams has revealed how the Luka Doncic trade has validated his behaviour.
There is no doubt that Butler will be sitting at home questioning how Doncic and Anthony Davis have been traded so quickly yet he is still waiting desperately for an exit.
Butler has been rumoured to move to the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and perhaps mostly with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns have not hidden their interest in Butler but a deal is stalling over Beal’s refusal to leave, following his no-trade clause, and the Heat’s refusal to accept what the Suns are offering.
Former NBA stars like Kevin Garnett called Butler a ‘distraction’ to the Heat while Dwight Howard said he is now ‘making a mockery of himself.’
Despite many being critical of Butler, Williams told Fan Duel’s Run It Back that ‘you can’t blame Butler’ following the Doncic trade.
He said: “When you look at a situation like a Jimmy Butler, can you blame him at this point? You can’t blame Jimmy for carrying himself the way he is carrying himself.
“You can’t blame some of these guys that want to control how their careers go when things like this can happen when you have your family or you’re committed to being somewhere for the next five to 10 years of your life.”
Despite numerous teams showing interest in Butler throughout the trade window his options appear to be dwindling through the fault of himself and others.
NBA expert Brian Windhorst has revealed that Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there, meaning they are out of the race.
Steph Curry reportedly indicated that he was ‘concerned’ by Butler’s potential entrance to the side anyway, so perhaps it was for the better.
Joel Embiid is reportedly looking to get Butler back to the 76ers but given Jimmy’s stance on wanting to join a win-now side that move appears unlikely.
Brett Siegel has pointed out how the Wizards could also be a potential landing spot, considering they sit bottom of the Eastern Conference with an 8-41 record that deal is also a long shot.
The Suns remain the star’s favored destination but as the deadline closes in, any move away from the Heat may be accepted by Butler.
