In this conversational YouTube segment, Draymond Green and former NBA guard Baron Davis discuss the Miami Heat's decision to hand Jimmy Butler a seven‑game suspension and the broader context of Butler's apparent desire to leave Miami. The dialogue weaves personal anecdotes—most notably Green recounting his own contentious trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Golden State Warriors—to illustrate how emotional strain, perceived mistreatment, and media pressure can drive a player toward a trade. Both speakers analyze Butler's emotional playing style, suggesting that his heart‑on‑sleeve approach makes him vulnerable when the locker‑room atmosphere turns sour. They speculate on Pat Riley's possible responses: either trading Butler to a team he would dislike or keeping him at home for the remainder of the season. The conversation also touches on the significance of the seven‑game length, the role of public opinion, and the challenges of managing a high‑profile player in a market like Miami. Throughout, the tone remains informal, reflective, and occasionally skeptical, with both participants expressing empathy for Butler while questioning the Heat's strategic choices.
Chapters
Moving around the league, we got Julian I for $37.92. What do you think about the 7-game suspension to Jimmy Butler? And why do you think they did that?
You know, I'm kind of on the fence with it. You know what I mean? Like, for one, it's like, man, somebody, you know, I've been in that situation before. Where it's like, man, I don't want to be here. Y'all don't really want me here. You know what I mean? And like, man, just go and put me out my misery and trade me. You know what I mean? And so, you know, you can— I can understand why the Heat did it. You know what I mean? And look, man, everybody, they done tipped the iceberg. You know what I mean? Like—
Mm-hmm.
Jimmy want out. And even though the Heat may or may not want to trade him or whatnot, like this dude ain't about to help you get to where you want to get to unhappy. You know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
Like, you know, to me he like, you know, he hella emotional. You know what I mean? And like, that's his gift and his curse. You know what I mean? And so when you got a guy like that, who play on his emotions and his attitude and his confidence and everything that he's built himself and his essential character on is really based off, you know, his emotional presence. His dog is like, you know what I mean? Like, he got heart. Like, and so somebody who play with his heart on his sleeve, if his heart is hurt or bruised or anything, his feelings hurt, like, you gonna get 25% of him because he can't get past the heartache.
Yeah.
You know what I mean? And so I think, you know, him and the Miami Heat, they in a heartbreak moment, you know what I mean? And it's like, well, shit, you gotta, you may have to suspend him because, you know, like you about to get 7 games of him going through, you know, all the emotions that he going through. Being somewhere he don't want to be. You know what I mean? With some people, with the way that they handling it too, is really like, "All right, you can leave too." You know what I mean? It's like, "Well, if I can leave, like, let me go." You know? And so, you know, it kind of feel like, you know, with Jimmy and his, like, emotional— Mm-hmm. You know, like how he is as an emotional player. You ain't gonna be able to get no wins, you know, with him not being all the way locked in and playing with his full, you know, freedom and capability. You know what I mean? And his confidence and all that. Like that kind of happened to me, Draymond, when I was in New Orleans. Different situation because I was hurt. Byron Scott had came in, new coach. And like, I remember me and Byron Scott, it wasn't me and Byron Scott that really didn't hit it off. I had problems with management because my back was hurt, I needed rehab. They thought I was a prima donna, you know what I mean? And it's like, man, I can't survive a Byron Scott practice if, you know what I mean, I ain't all the way right. And then I get on the court and I ain't who I'm supposed to be. And you know what I mean? You going through all this. And at the same time, that's when I got traded from New Orleans to Golden State. It was like, yo, you know, I remember Alan Briscoe. It was even a moment where, you know, he kind of like ran up on me. You know what I mean? He came from the stands, ran up on me like, "Man, who you think you are?" I said, "Bro, take one more step.
Freeze." Who is Alan Briscoe?
Old school buster. You know what I mean? One of them old school busters. But he was the GM and he come running, you know, Byron, we have practice. I come to practice late 'cause I'm in rehab. And then in New Orleans, like the rehab like an hour away, you know what I mean? So he come running down, man, I thought I told you prima donna, woo woo woo. I said, hey, Freeze, don't take one more step on me. And then Byron Scott was like, what's going on? I said, okay, I'm out. You know what I mean? Y'all gonna have to trade me. And I'll never forget, it was the trade deadline and I said peace to all the people in the facility, you know what I mean, trainers. And I sat outside that man's office and he came out and he said, "Well, it's the trade deadline. Look like you gonna be here for the year." I said, "Man, if you don't take your ass back out here and trade me, I'm not fucking around. I'm gonna sit right here." 'til you tell me, I don't care which team at this point. You know what I mean? And that's how I got traded to Golden State. But I can understand like when you at a breaking point and it's like, I need to go because now my feelings is hurt, y'all feelings is hurt, y'all got a misperception. You know what I mean? Like the relationship with the coach ain't even off to the right foot in the foundation and now—
Yeah.
You know, with Jimmy being there, that's a whole different situation, right? 'Cause he been to the top with these dudes. And so like, when you feel like you not appreciated, you know what I mean? Or you feel like you being pushed out or you feel like you being, you know, pointed out as like you the scapegoat, like it's hard to play, you know? And I think they just at the end of they rope.
Nah, for sure. I think they definitely are at the end of the rope. I've actually been hearing for the last couple years that they were kind of tired of Jimmy. Jimmy was kind of tired of them, I think.
Yeah.
Jimmy was kind of a little more so enjoying just living in Miami and not— I'm not one of those media people that make up stories. I'm not saying enjoying living in Miami like Jimmy's a party or Jimmy don't go out. So I'm not saying that, I'm just like, but living in Miami is a beautiful thing.
Yeah.
And so I think he just enjoyed more so his life and what comes with him being the face of the Miami Heat. Again, Jimmy's a very serious guy, takes his craft very serious, works his ass off. So I don't want this to come off the wrong way. I just think like he had a good thing there where he's going to NBA Finals, you know, he's— Yeah. The man in Miami. And I think all of those things made what he was going through bearable. That's what I'm trying to get at.
Yeah.
And I think it's just reached a point now where you like, what do I have left? 3 more years maybe? I'm gonna live in Miami for the rest of my life after 3 years anyway. You know? So I think you start to get to that point where Jimmy also, Jimmy competitive as they come, wants to win a championship. And so the actual 7-game suspension, I think my question about it would be, why 7? Like, why not 5? What was the significance with it being 7?
Right, why so long?
You know what I'm saying? Like, that to me. But I don't, I mean, outside of it just being like, why 7? Like, why so random? I think my only thing is looking at what I believe the outcome is gonna be. And what I believe the outcome is gonna be, everybody's like, oh man, Jimmy's going here, Jimmy's going there. I think two things, one of two things are gonna happen. It's just my opinion. I think Pat Riley is Pat Riley. Like, and y'all have all heard the stories of how, who Pat Riley is and how Pat Riley is, just like I have. I can see two things happening. I can see Pat Riley sending Jimmy Butler to a team, an organization that he'd absolutely hate. That's garbage. Mm-hmm. I could also see Pat Riley saying, "Hey, go home for the rest of the year. Just go home. We'll pay you. It's fine. Go home. We not trading you anywhere." And I could see that scenario as well. But the scenario that I don't see, I don't see it just playing out in Jimmy backing good relations with them.
That's favorite.
And Jimmy being who Jimmy is, I don't see that. I think it's too far past gone. When stuff start getting to the media, when stuff start getting public, it's no longer in your control anyway. It is completely taken over by public opinion and it's just hard to make it work. So I think they reached the end of the road.
And if you see how he was playing, you know what I mean? It's almost like I can't even have that energy around where we at now.
And I didn't see the games.
You know what I mean?
You playing on the West, you don't see me in the Eastern Conference games? So I didn't see any of that.
Yeah, it's just almost like you can't stake nothing in that. You know what I mean? Like you can't put no eggs in that basket because you don't— I'mma fuck up and just throw the basket.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah, they like, you can see it, you can feel it, And you know, I feel like if I was a Heat fan, you know what I mean? It's just hella, it's too much intensity around it. And I understand, I mean, I can understand that. 'Cause even when I used to go sit on the bench at the games when I was hurt in New Orleans, and then Dickow was the point guard, man, I used to hear people yelling at me like, "He's better than him anyway." Yeah. Okay. But the fans start developing a disdain because of the media, because of the imprint, and now you like, "Hold on, man, like I can be done with this." You know what I mean? Let me go somewhere, anywhere. And I do agree with you. I do think that if I'm Miami, you know, why would I send him to a contender? I'm sending him somewhere where I can go get me some pieces, rebuild. I think that's what some Pat Riley mind, you know what I mean?
