The Miami Heat are in rebuild mode, but Jalen Rose believes that Jimmy Butler has somewhat sped up the process for Pat Riley and his front office.
Miami acquired Jimmy Butler in a sign-and-trade deal that involved four teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat had to part ways with Hassan Whiteside and Josh Richardson in the process in order to obtain Butler and former Blazers big man Meyers Leonard.
Rose, who currently works as an analyst for ESPN, likes the Butler acquisition as it can help the Heat attract more players, per Chris Nelsen of The Palm Beach Post.
“You see how fast they added an All-NBA player that nobody saw coming,” Rose said recently, referring to Miami’s blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler. “All of a sudden, they’re rejuvenating their roster.”
The former NBA swingman also dropped his thoughts on Whiteside's failed stint with the Heat and how they turned things around with the Butler deal.
“Hassan Whiteside, once he got his big deal in Miami, wasn’t the player they projected him to be,” Rose added. “Paying that type of money, they wanted him to be among the league leaders in rebounds and blocks, and be able to play 35 minutes a night. He wasn’t able to do it.
“For them to parlay that into Jimmy Butler, who made all the big plays in Philly, just shows the magic of Pat Riley. (Butler) becomes part of a situation with Erik Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the game, and now they can attract more players. It bodes well for rebuilding their roster.”
Jimmy Butler is an outstanding two-way player who will lead the Heat in all aspects of the game. He scored 18.2 points a game with the Sixers while playing beside a top-heavy team. He also grabbed 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals in his 55 games with Philly.
Butler's arrival is also testament to the business acumen of Pat Riley, reminding everyone in the NBA how he managed to put the Big Three together almost a decade ago.
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