Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has made it clear he prefers to be traded before the league’s February 6 deadline, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
After failing to agree to a contract extension this offseason, the six-time All-Star is now officially on the trading block. The Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns are expected to be in the mix for his services.
At this time, Butler has not made a formal trade request – he merely prefers a trade out of Miami. The 35-year-old is in the second year of a three-year, $146 million extension he signed before the 2023-24 campaign. He holds a $49 cap hit this season and a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.
Butler plans to decline his player option and test free agency this offseason, potentially hoping to secure one last multi-year deal.
The veteran has played in 20 of Miami’s first 27 games this year, averaging 18.5 pointshis lowest mark since 2013-145.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per contest.
Miami sits sixth in a congested Eastern Conference playoff picture with a 14-13 record, just a half-game above the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers for the final spot above the play-in.
The Heat’s 2.7-point differential suggests the team should have a stronger record. However, Miami holds a dismal 1-6 record in three-point games normally a strong suit for a Butler-led team.
Butler didn’t feature in Miami’s most recent game, a 110-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo led the way with 23 points, and Most Improved Player-candidate Tyler Herro added 17.
Butler and Herro both arrived in Miami in 2019 and have kept the organization among the league’s most competitive ever since.
The Heat surprised many by storming through Eastern Conference heavyweights to crash the NBA Finals in both 2020 and 2023.
A trade would see Butler compete in the Western Conference for the first time in his career. However, any team acquiring his services must add large contracts (including potentially multiple rotation players) to complete the deal.
Would a trade to the Warriors require a veteran on a big deal (ex: Andrew Wiggins), a youngster with potential (ex: Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski), and future picks?
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