Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Reveals He Was Almost Traded For Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo almost never became teammates for the Miami Heat.
In a recent interview on the J.J. Redick podcast, Adebayo revealed the Heat had plans on trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler in 2018. The Heat were in talks of acquiring Butler and Adebayo was part of the package.
"You heard the Minnesota situation," Adebayo told Redick. "And it's crazy because I almost got traded for Jimmy, to Minnesota. I almost got traded for Jimmy, and Pat (Riley) wouldn't trade me. He was like, 'Nah, I see something good in this kid,'"
The decided to hold off on pulling the trigger. They eventually acquired Butler the following offseason.
"At that point, I'm sweating bullets," Adebayo said. "I'm not trying to get traded. I like it in Miami, it's warm. I kind of got my feet wet. I’m familiar with the place.”
The move has paid off for the Heat. Butler has been an All-Star every year he's played in Miami. Adebayo is considered one of the top young players in the league.
The two have helped the Heat earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They open the first round of the playoffs Sunday.
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