How the Lakers might have spurred Jimmy Butler’s trade demand, explained

Was Lakers guard Gabe Vincent the Jimmy Butler whisperer while with the Miami Heat?

It seems so far away now, but in the summer of 2023, the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler seemed like a match made in heaven. Butler talked the Heat Culture talk and walked the walk on the way to two NBA Finals appearances.

Flash forward to the winter of 2025 and Butler reportedly wants out of Miami and would only sign his player option in the offseason as a tactic to get traded, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

When looking at how things went south in Miami, perhaps the Heat made a grave mistake that 23' summer when all was fine and dandy by letting Gabe Vincent take his talent to the Lakers in free agency.

In the most recent The Stein Line newsletter, NBA insider Jake Fischer explained the connection Vincent and Butler had and how Vincent's off-court influence might have been even more valuable than his on-court presence.

That same summer, sources said, Miami set itself a $9 million annual limit in talks with Vincent. The Lakers delivered a three-year deal with an average annual value of $11 million to lure Vincent into LeBron James’ supporting cast soon after those same Nuggets had just swept L.A. in the Western Conference finals.In Miami, Vincent served as a stable two-way presence at the point — willing to defer to Butler but likewise capable of scoring in bunches.

He was also crucial to the chemistry mix as a fixture in Butler’s cherished games of dominoes, either in transit or at team functions, late at night.“Some of it, just doing stuff off the court, playing dominoes, having dinner, extracurricular activities ...” Caleb Martin, now a teammate of Lowry’s with the 76ers, told me about the away-from-work dynamic Miami crafted.“Whatever you do, that kinda trickles onto the court,” Martin said. “It’s important to have that off-the-court stuff for sure.”

It's always difficult to pinpoint when a good situation turns ugly and how just a couple of adjustments could've made all the difference. Perhaps if Vincent had remained in Miami, his chemistry with Butler would have kept him happy and open to working things out in Miami.

Or maybe this is all about getting the max for Jimmy and with Miami appearing to have certain hard lines on what they will pay, this divorce was inevitable.

Regardless, the Lakers shelled out the money for Vincent and valued what he brings to an organization.

Vincent's first year as a Laker was injury-riddled, but now he is healthy and available. This season, he is averaging 19 minutes per game, scoring 4.2 points and converting 31% of his shots from deep.

Those aren’t exactly phenomenal numbers, but he's a smart player who makes few mistakes and is a guy who coaches trust in the rotation and brings positive chemistry to a team.

In the modern NBA, that's more than you can say about a lot of players and it seems Butler and the Heat certainly miss what Gabe brought to South Beach.

If the idea of Butler and Vincent reuniting in Los Angeles piques your interest, you shouldn’t get your hopes up. The math and the players needed to make such a deal done is tough.

For now, Lakers fans can just take some joy in the idea that Vincent coming to L.A. might’ve been the first straw that broke the Heat’s back and closed their title window.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.