Miami Heat president Pat Riley addresses the crowd during the Pat Riley Court dedication ceremony at halftime at Kaseya Center. / Jim

After weeks of whispers and disputed reporting, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler said publicly on Thursday night that playing for the organization is not sparking joy and he probably cannot get back to his happy place while operating in South Beach. With the NBA trade deadline approaching on Feb. 6, it seems like it is time for player and franchise to figure out a way forward. And Butler giving voice to his frustration escalates the tension, setting up a potential showdown with Heat executive Pat Riley, a notoriously shrewd and savvy operator.

ESPN dove into the situation with a roundtable piece on Friday morning as Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps shared their reporting, which includes conversations with other NBA executives and agents who anonymously offered words of warning to Butler.

“You cannot intimidate Pat Riley,” one agent told Windhorst.

“You never want to get in a fight with someone who has nothing to lose,” a rival executive told Bontemps. “And Pat has nothing to lose.”

It’s pointed language and reflective of Riley’s decades of maneuvering. It’s also catnip for fans of “This League” and all the off-court drama it affords.

Two things to consider. One, it may not be accurate that Pat Riley has nothing to lose. He is 79 years-old and loves winning so it’s tough to imagine him doing something that makes the Miami Heat worse even if it ends up being a win for Butler. Two, Butler has to know this and his decision to put things out in the public sphere likely reflects a willingness to dig his heels in as well. There is no way he’s going into this without his eyes fully open about the person with which he is dealing.

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