Jimmy Butler says the Miami Heat are gonna be fine after losing the NBA Finals- "I think we'll be OK"
On Monday, June 12, the Miami Heat suffered their fourth loss in the NBA Finals, allowing the Denver Nuggets to be crowned NBA Champions. When addressing the media following the game, Jimmy Butler shared his belief that his Miami Heat teammates will be 'OK' following yet another NBA Finals loss.
"We just missed shots," Butler said. "That's what this league is about. We make two, three more shots; that's what it's been for us all year long. I think we did enough to win. We guarded well. We were still in a position to win. You don't have to score 100 points to win a basketball game. I think we'll be OK. That's coach Pat and coach Spo's job to put together another team, which I'm confident they will do. And, we'll take it from there."
Throughout the Miami Heat's June 12 loss, Jimmy Butler struggled to find his scoring touch, shooting just 5-of-18 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. The Heat fell short with a total of 89 points.
With the NBA season concluded, the Denver Nuggets have secured their first-ever franchise championship. Unfortunately, the Miami Heat couldn't match the performance of the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, winning only one game in the series before losing three consecutive games.
The Miami Heat are favorites to land Damian Lillard.
As the offseason begins, the rumor mill will ramp up, and it's expected that the Miami Heat will be linked to several star players. After their strong performance in the season, falling just short of a championship, the Heat are considered favorites to pursue Damian Lillard, a superstar guard from the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, currently, there is no substantial reporting to believe that Damian Lillard is ready to request a trade - although that could change on draft night. Since entering the NBA, Lillard has spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers but has recently been vocal about his desire to win, or at least contend, for a championship.
As such, should the Trail Blazers opt to use their third overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, there is a legitimate chance that Damian Lillard could finally request a trade. At which point, the Miami Heat would be logical trade partners, especially after the star guard noted how the Heat would be among his first-choice landing spots if he were to request a move.
“Miami, obviously,” Butler said during a recent appearance on “The Last Stand” with Brian Custer. “Miami is the obvious one, and Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Bam is my dog, for real…Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. Both have capable rosters.”
The NBA Draft is set to take place on June 22, so we won't have to wait too long until we find out whether Damian Lillard is going to be a marquee trade name this summer.