Why Max Struss Departure Hurts Jimmy Butler’s Heat Relationship

Jimmy Butler is still trying to be tradedand apparently, his distaste for Miami Heat started long before this season. Butler and the Heat have been successful over the past few years because of the chemistry and camaraderie the group has played together. That all changed when Caleb Martin, Max Strussand Gabe Vincent left the past two years, which shaped the way Butler viewed the team.

One of the hardest pills to swallow because Butler was the Strus’ departure, according to Mark Stein.

“Butler was said to view Struss as a brother — someone who could match the All-Star’s sarcastic (some call it abrasive) sense of humor,” Stein wrote. “They came up with a celebrated handshake routine, often featured in Instagram posts and punctuated by the players confronting each other with mutual zeal.” Several people familiar with that edition of the Heat cited Struss as an instrumental figure in keeping Butler stable within the team’s larger dynamic.

Struss was a key factor in the Heat’s 2023 NBA Finals berth and served as a quality three-point shooter for the team. Martin and Vincent also played huge roles in the Heat’s success that season, and could never replace their production. Now the Heat look like they will suffer the same fate with Butler if they are unable to get anything of value for him if he is traded.

Heat still cannot find a replacement Jimmy Butler

With Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension almost coming to an end, it will be interesting to see what happens next if they can’t find a replacement for him. Butler has made it known that he would like to be traded from the Heat and is not happy to play for the team, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to take him.

The only team that stayed consistent through this process with theirs interest in Butler are the Phoenix Sunsthe problem is bradley beal would have to be in any business for him. That’s a problem because Beal has a no-trade clause and he can decide if the trade goes through or not.

Beal was recently moved to the bench, but he has played well in that role, and if the Suns keep winning, there may not be any urgency to make a move.