The Miami Heat traded star forward Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors earlier this week, concluding a rocky end to Butler's five and a half seasons in Miami.

Though Butler's time in Miami didn't end on a great note with the franchise suspending him multiple times and Butler saying he no longer felt "joy" playing basketball with the Heat, head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed gratitude toward Butler in his first at-length comments on the trade since Butler left.

"In this case, I don't have to completely understand how we got to this point," Spoelstra told the media on Friday. "But what I can have is a sense of gratitude completely. It was a great partnership and collaboration for 5 years. Some really deep, core memories. I’m grateful for the time to be able to coach a player like Jimmy."

Spoelstra continued: "Now we turn the page to a different chapter, that's the reality in this league. Nothing lasts forever, and we feel good on turning the page on the direction of our franchise right now. It's exciting ... and Jimmy will be in a great place in Golden State."

After Butler arrived in Miami in 2019, he helped lead the Heat to the postseason each year and the NBA Finals on two occasions. He made two All-Star games, and as Spoelstra said, left "indelible memories" on him and the team.

In his introductory press conference with the Warriors, Butler also shared only positive sentiments toward his former team.

“I have so much respect for that organization, people that’s running that organization, my former teammates," Butler said Thursday. "I’ll always wish them the best. I have a lot of love for a lot of people over there. I just want them to know I’m very grateful for the relationships I’ve built and hope to keep for a lifetime.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Erik Spoelstra Reflects on Jimmy Butler's Time With Heat After Warriors Trade.

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