Video: Jimmy Butler Appears to Shade Pat Riley, Heat at Coffee Shop amid Trade Rumors

Disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler seemed to take a veiled shot at Heat president Pat Riley on Thursday amid his seven-game suspension from the team.

Butler posted several videos on his Instagram Stories that showed him working at a coffee shop. In one of the videos, Butler patted one of the workers on the back and said, "See, I gave you a compliment. That's what bosses do. They build you up, they don't break you down."

The Heat announced last week that they were suspending Butler seven games for "multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team."

Additionally, the Heat said in a statement that they would listen to offers for Butler after he made it clear that he wanted to be traded.

Tension between Butler and Riley seemingly dates back to May when Riley said, "If you're not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams," in reference to Butler suggesting the Heat could have beaten the Boston Celtics and Knicks in the playoffs last season had he been healthy.

The 35-year-old Butler is in the midst of his 14th NBA season overall and his sixth with the Heat after previous stints as a member of the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers.

Two of his six career All-Star appearances have come since he arrived in Miami, plus he has twice led the Heat to the NBA Finals.

Team success has waned since Miami's last trip to the Finals in 2023, though, as the Heat went 46-36 and got eliminated by Boston in the first round of the playoffs last year, and are just 19-17 so far this season.

The Heat have a talented team on the surface with Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro leading the way, but inconsistent play has left Miami in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Given that the Cleveland Cavaliers (33-4), Celtics (27-10) and Knicks (25-13) top the conference, it is tough to envision the Heat being a true threat come playoff time.

Because of that and the fact that Butler can become a free agent at the end of the season, the Heat have plenty of incentive to find a trade partner who will give something of value in return for the accomplished veteran.

In 22 games this season, Butler has been an efficient shooter, making 55.2 percent of his shots from the field and 37.5 percent from deep, but his 17.6 points per game are his fewest since the 2013-14 season.

He has still contributed in other ways, though, registering 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game, which are in line with his career averages.

During his four playoff runs with the Heat, Butler averaged 24.7 points per game, so there is little doubt that a contending team could benefit from his arrival should the Heat ultimately follow through on trading him.

The relationship between Butler and Heat does appear to be unsalvageable at this point, so it is fair wonder if Butler has already played his final game for the franchise.