Pat Riley is no stranger to difficult moments with superstar players, but it’s increasingly clear that he may now be facing his most challenging standoff yet.

If Pat Riley is going to successfully emerge from the mess he and his team find themselves in, the Miami Heat president will have to take the most difficult advice of his career: His own. For at least the third time in just over a decade,

Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler have apparently not been on the same page for a long time. On Tuesday, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that the Miami Heat president and his All-Star player have been at odds since the summer.

Butler was said to be “caught off guard” by the comments according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. There have been many events that have led to the fractured relationship between Butler and the Heat with the one mentioned by Haynes being when the team questioned the effort level.

Over the past three weeks, the biggest saga in the NBA has been between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. As we inch closer to the trade deadline, the disconnect between player and organization continues to grow.

In the latest chapter of the Miami Heat’s ongoing saga, Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler have reached the breaking point of their relationship, one that seemed destined to end in a clash of NBA egos.

The Miami Heat are still searching for trade opportunities involving Jimmy Butler ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Jimmy Butler finished the win with just eight points, three rebounds, seven assists and two blocks while shooting 3/7 from the field and 0/1 from the three-point range in 28 minutes. Many people commented on his performance (via social media).

Since Jimmy had his meeting with Micky Arison on Thursday there is no doubt an uptick in discussions around Jimmy Butler. The Heat shifted into a new gear after that meeting. I