The Jimmy Butler saga, despite the Heat trying to get it under control, sounds like it won’t come to an end until there’s a trade. The latest development came late Thursday night, when Butler told the Heat he wants a trade to “anywhere other than Miami,” per ESPN reporting.
Just a week ago, Heat president Pat Riley released a statement declaring they weren’t going to move Butler amid trade rumors. But as ESPN reports, Butler wants out of Miami to any destination around the league. There’s still a month left until the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The messaging out of Miami has gotten tense ever since the Heat didn’t extend Butler ahead of this season. As ESPN reports, there could be a potential showdown between the Heat front office and Butler after Miami said it wasn’t going to trade its star player. The Heat are currently 17-15 after losing to the Pacers on Thursday.
There’s still time ahead of the trade deadline. But Butler, 35, should be one of the more sought-after players on the market. He’s a proven playoff performer, leading the Heat to multiple deep playoff runs, including the 2023 NBA Finals.
Per ESPN, Butler doesn’t plan to give the Heat a preferred trade destination. It has been previously reported that Butler preferred to teams like the Suns, Mavericks, Warriors and Rockets — all teams in the West looking to make a playoff push. But it’s unclear what the price tag will be for a player like Butler.
The Heat have been in limbo since their 2023 NBA Finals run, which came as the No. 8 seed in the East playoffs. But they were a first-round exit last year, again as a No. 8 seed, falling to the Celtics in five games. They’re in playoff positioning, but with Butler wanting out, there are lot of moving parts in Miami.
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