1:27pm: Butler is expected to meet with Heat owner Micky Arison after his suspension ends this week, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. According to Winderman, Arison isn’t in favor of allowing Butler to remain away from the team while continuing to collect pay checks toward his $48.8MM salary.
11:50am: Heat forward Jimmy Butler met in person with team president Pat Riley last week and reiterated his request to be traded, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Butler told Riley during that meeting that he has no intention of signing a new contract with the Heat during the 2025 offseason and that he would only pick up his $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 in order to facilitate a trade.
Butler reiterating his desire to be traded and making it clear he doesn’t plan to sign a new deal with the Heat doesn’t materially change the circumstances of his standoff with the Heat — we already knew that the 35-year-old wanted out and that his days with the team are likely numbered.
Still, it’s perhaps a signal that the Heat’s plan to reintegrate Butler upon the conclusion of his team-imposed seven-game suspension later this week won’t go as smoothly as the club hopes. Butler’s has already missed six games while serving his suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, so Wednesday’s contest against the Lakers will be the seventh and final game of that ban.
Heat officials intend to meet later this week to discuss the best route forward with Butler, league sources tell Charania.
Several recent reports have indicated that Miami has talked to multiple teams about potential Butler trades but has yet to gain any real momentum in any of those discussions and is in no rush to take a deal that isn’t in the club’s best interests. The Heat are said to be seeking players who can help them win this season, as well as short-term contracts that will allow the front office to generate cap flexibility going forward.
The Suns are widely viewed as the team with the most interest in Butler, who strongly reciprocates their interest. But Phoenix isn’t well positioned to make a strong offer, given its position relative to the second tax apron and its lack of appealing trade chips. Due to their second-apron restrictions, the Suns would almost certainly need to send out Bradley Beal in any deal for Butler — Beal has a no-trade clause and would need to approve any move, while Miami isn’t interested in taking on his multiyear maximum-salary contract.
Multiple NBA insiders have speculated that the Heat may not find a deal they like by the February 6 trade deadline, delaying resolution on the Butler situation until the offseason. At that time, more teams would have the flexibility to acquire him via sign-and-trade or opt-in-and-trade.
Even letting Butler walk for nothing could be an appealing option for Miami if the alternative sees the club take back unwanted multiyear contracts in a trade. The Clippers took that approach with Paul George this past offseason and it’s working out well for them so far.
Unlike George, Butler doesn’t have an obvious suitor with cap room waiting for him in free agency, so he’ll have to be careful about overplaying his hand. The Nets are currently the only team projected to have maximum-salary cap room during the offseason, and they reportedly have no intention of pursuing the Heat star.
Butler’s dissatisfaction in Miami stems in large part from the Heat’s unwillingness to give him the maximum-salary extension offer he wanted during the offseason. Reporting on Christmas Day indicated that he preferred a trade; a little over a week later, word broke that he had informed the Heat of his desire to be moved.
According to Charania, one issue that factored into Butler’s January 2 trade request was an implication from team officials that the six-time All-Star didn’t play his hardest in a Jan. 1 win over New Orleans.
Butler scored nine points in 25 minutes in that game and followed up that performance with nine points in 27 minutes the next night against Indiana. He took just 11 total shots across those two outings and appeared passive and disengaged, frequently standing in the corner on offense. His usage rate in those two games was 12.6% — it had been 21.6% prior to Jan. 1.
They should let him start off the bench. That way they develop team chemistry and he can go on and prove himself with the second unit until the trade deadline.
And after the trade deadline you can still see whether you give him a starter role again…
What is the best for Heat – you do what you can do for the team.
Warning 1
If Butler has no 100% joy, he will be suspended 7 games AGAIN.
Warning 2
If Butler has no 100% joy and 100 effort, he will be suspended for the season.
Result
Heat save $30 million salary plus luxury tax
What is the worst for Heat
Allowing Butler to remain away from the team while continuing to collect pay checks toward his $48.8MM salary and pay luxury tax
Joy and contract stick together
Butler needs to tell Riley where he wants to go.
Heat need to tell Butler Suns are not an option.
#FREEJIMMY
Pat Riley stock is in the toilet rn. If Jimmy puts in any effort on the court I will be amazed
No effort, and 47 million, a joke, cut him.
And let him keep all that money? No way. Just keep suspending him and let the NBPA do their worst.
Riley would be up to his neck in legal trouble. Not to mention destroying the trust of every potential Heat player from now until 2035.
Riley needs to put his money where his mouth is. Clearly suspended Jimmy because he thought someone would panic and over pay. That didn’t pan out. Get what you can and move on from this situation. Miami needs to make the playoffs.
If Heat are a nice organization, both sides need to come up with 3 options.
Since Heat has known he has no joy with them and only team he wants to play is Suns.
Suspension is just bad, bad, bad.
Send him to Washington! Poole, Valanciunas and a couple packs of Cheetos
Butler, Larsson, Johnson, Burks for Nurkìc, Allen, O’Neale, Okogie and every pick pick the Suns can trade.
Miami gets a few defense oriented wings in O’Neale, Okogie and Allen and they get ride of a major pain in the ….
Suns off load Nurkìc and get Butler without broaching the subject of Beal’s no trade clause.
I like it !!
What we don’t know is how dumb Phoenix is. Are they thinking about Jimmy Butler and the chaos involved only because they thought it was a great way to get out of Bradley Beal?
Or are they so dense that they would keep Beal AND bring on Butler and have the biggest soap opera in the NBA since the late 70s Philadelphia 76ers drama.
Suns are a 2nd apron team, so no.
It works, the Suns would be taking on the exact same money and they wouldn’t be aggregating as it’s as it’s a 4 for 4 player swap.
This is aggregating though. The Suns should match Butler’s salary with just one player, even if there were others involved. Beal, Durant or Booker should be included, there is no more option.
@Taco – look it up, its separate rules, 1) you can’t take back more $$ in a deal (1st apron) – your deal is OK on that front, and 2) you can’t aggregate player contracts to match an incoming contract (2nd apron) – your deal fails that test. BTW, the rule #2 would be meaningless if only required rule #1 and an equal number of players in the deal on each side.
The Suns have zero trade assets. They are above the second apron so they can only trade Beal, Durant or Booker. They aren’t giving away Durant or Booker for washed up Jimmy.
Suns can’t aggregate
All Jimmy has done, both on and off the court, is validate the Heat’s decision not to offer him a max extension.
He played outstandingly during the two Finals runs and three ECF trips. Playoff Jimmy might have thought he deserved kind of a “tribute” max contract, and, though it won’t happen now, and is very very rare to think it might happen (with him or any other player), I don’t blame him.
He dominated the matchups against all the NBA’s top superstars, including Giannis, Tatum, Jaylen Brown, twice or thrice (I don’t remember).
Led the Heat in a great finals series against Bron, AD and the Lakers (best Finals’ I have seen since).
The “tribute max” might not be something feasible, but I understand the guy.
I absolutely blame him for screwing over his teammates and the fans. No justification for it. Plenty of guys aren’t getting paid what they are worth.
He may not have gotten a max but if he actually took the regular season seriously and stopped taking off games, plus removed all the off court nonsense, he’d still get a very nice contract. All he’s done is shoot himself in the foot and lowered his earning power now and down the line.
Jimmy Butler has to prove he is healthy not happy. Not a 18 point guy. Reliable he hasn’t been for 2 years. Not aging well.
Hopefully Butler retires this week.
That wouldn’t solve anything.
I guarantee you right now Mike Dunleavy has been meeting with ownership and coaches and contemplating bringing Jimmy to San Francisco.
I believe that’s why Curry and Steve Kerr made the comments they did yesterday regarding mortgaging the future.
Does Jimmy tip the scales and make them a championship contender? He’s about the only so-called stud out there and available right now?
Sounds like Curry and Kerr don’t want to sign off on it so I believe the rebuild starts next week in Warriors land.
Quick side note, it would be Jimmy for only this season, no extension no max contract no nothing. He simply a player under contract to the heat for this year and they can trade him with no guarantees on his future at all. If he opt in this summer for the following season, so be it. Make another run. But no three-year max extension that’s for sure.
Please provide proof of your guarantee
I don’t have proof. I’m just mouthing off. But I do guarantee it lol.
In fact, I guarantee that every contender has brought it up in their boardroom or green room or whatever room you call that.
He should be, with them, and with MIA and JB’s agent, at least until the owner, Kerr or Curry tell him to cease and desist. It’s a potential fire sale, so unless he was something better to do, he should have his truck backed up.
There is a $52 million reason why the Warriors will not trade for Butler. That option is a hard pill to swallow for next season on any team. warriors could get part of a a trade package for Butler and the warriors sending off expiring contracts for a player back as a cheaper option that the heat doesn’t want.
Butler will have a hard time finding a team. Emniid may can get the 76ers to sign him but not many others will come near Jimmy.
Philly can’t sign him? No Money…And if they want him it would cost George or Embiid and I doubt the Heat are interested. + Embiid can’t be traded thus season so it would have to wait.
I think he meant signing for next season.
But we don’t have any money next season to sign him lol. Unless he wants a MLE type of deal
Heat want to have their cake, eat it and have another cake in queue. It don’t work that way. They don’t want to pay him. They also don’t want to trade for his true value, which is why they can’t ‘find’ a deal they like. And they don’t like the distraction of him being there. They suspended him for being honest in an interview, then said he missed shootarounds and took private jets to make it look better?….ok
It’s a little late for the warning that “he’ll have to be careful about overplaying his hand.” The hand was overplayed, and he has only himself and his agent to blame!
I can’t imagine that MIA is actually going to have Butler in their lockerrom again, let alone on the court for them, after a public trade request, unless (with the same publicity) he recommits to the team. Even then, it’s still kind of weak.
I can’t remember many pre-deadline trade requests where the player wasn’t moved, but AD was one. NOP sent him home. It was with pay (he said he was willing to play, and they didn’t look past that).
No one wants that salary with what they would have to part with to get him! He doesn’t have the leverage he’s used to wielding.
So they don’t wanna extend him yet won’t trade him?
Can’t trade him. The salary is unmovable. The only thing you would get in return is someone else’s garbage contract. Swapping one cap headache for another. It’s almost better to just let him leave at the end of the year. Miami is a premier destination for these guys, they’ll replace him with someone else.
Does Butler give them a huge discount to extend him? Sounds like Butler still thinks he is a $50 million a year player which he is no longer is.
Detroit actually makes the most sense.
Detroit: Jimmy Butler, Alec Burks
MIA: Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., MIA’s 2028 2nd rd pick back + Detroit’s 2027 2nd rd pick
No, I’m thinking more along the lines of BUTLER to Suns; KD back to Warriors; Wiggins, Schröder, Hield, and remainder in cash to Heat.
It’s a win-win-win, at least in the interim, for all parties involved. Beal returns to the starting lineup for Suns, where he and Booker naturally become the top 2 scoring threats – Butler as the main facilitator and top defensive presence. I’m envisioning better ball AND player movement on the offensive end with KD gone.
Meanwhile, no need to jibber on TOO much about how much better the new-look old-look Warriors offense would be. The only real issue to sort out would be how to mesh KD’s style of play with Kuminga’s. Still, I think it would be damn exciting to see. You’d have hopefully a little more than two months – assuming playoff time – to determine if these guys can co-exist on the court, while perhaps keeping Kuminga as your 6th man for the rest of THIS season. If it’s a hit, then along with Looney and GP2 and maybe Waters’ contracts coming off the books, talk to Steph and KD about contract salary restructurings for the 2026 season to fit Kuminga’s new value into the books – hopefully no more than 32-35M per. Also, likely move Moody in the offseason to free up more space.
And as for the Heat, I mean…..are you seriously gonna tell me they’d scoff at THREE proven vets for a disgruntled and aging star player who doesn’t want to play for you anymore?? Gimme a break. This would IMMEDIATELY catapult Miami into among the most deepest and versatile rosters in the East – no waiting for draft picks to pan out some 3-5 years later.
I mean…..it’s crazy cuz up until a few days ago, I wasn’t thinking ONE MINUTE about the prospects of KD returning. But it’s like…..now, I’m resolved to the fact if they trade for anything less (offensive potential-wise) coupled with how far they’ve fallen off the map in the last month and a half, they may as well call it a season and hope for brighter days next fall.
I want what you’re smoking.
One of the single most nonsensical trade ideas I’ve seen on here, and that’s saying something. Not the most insane or lopsided, but arguably the most pointless.
PG-Podziemski
SG-Curry
SF-DURANT
PF-Green
C-TJD/Looney
——————————
6th: Kuminga
———Anderson, GP2, Moody, Looney/TJD, Waters III, Santos, Spencer, Post, 2-ways
This guy must be Davey J burner
No way would the Suns trade KD (unless he demanded it) let alone for Butler. They’re trying to offload Beal.
Financially, it makes sense.
I would not do it if I’m the Pistons, because Jimmy might mess the chemistry and development of the young players (in the Pistons, he would need to be the go-to guy, which, would mean that Cade relinquishes that, and, even if Cade might do it, it’s not the best for Detroit).
In the suns, he would accept his role in the KD-Booker-Beal hierarchy.
He’s not going to Suns unless one of those Big 3 gets moved elsewhere, Julian#15.
With my trade idea in mind………SUCH A damn formidable starting 5 down in Miami—-
PG-SCHRÖDER
SG-Herro
SF-WIGGINS
PF- Jacquez
C-Adebayo
———————
6th: Rozier
———HIELD, Highsmith, Robinson, Richardson, Jović, Love, Ware, Burks, 2-ways
***maybe make another deadline deal or wait for the buyout market to get a backup big
Hardaway, Ausar Thompson, Wendell Moore, Marcus Sasser, Jaden Ivey 2027 1st, 2029 1st, 2028 Charlotte or Clippers 2nd for Jimmy Butler and Alec Burks
Heat dump Ivey and hardaway/sasser
What percentage of future tradable first rounders will guarantee you a player of Jimmy Butler’s stature? Even for the next two seasons.
If a team gambles on him, he will pay them the play.
He’s all in or nothing. Like with the Heat. Which is a double edged sword.
Butler is on something…
Ain’t no team gonna pay him more than that player option… he’d be lucky to get that on a multi year contract…
Nobody wants to pay a 35 year old on the downslope $55 mil, they also don’t want to trade for one. Jimmy missed the bucket.
They can only give him a max length of 3 years no matter where he goes as well…
The teams who may have interest in signing him cannot give him more than 52m over 3 years due to the new CBA…
And Jimmy doesn’t want to go to Detroit or Washington whilst the Spurs wouldn’t be able to hang up the phone because they’d be too busy laughing…
So that 52m is gone up in smoke…
So Scarlet after reading what you’ve written here, it kind of stands out to me that Jimmy obviously will opt in to that 52 million and play for whatever team he’s on at the time, even if it’s the Heat.
He seems to be money first, so why give up that payday? I think you’re right there’s no cash available out there at all for him to even shoot for. There’s no way he doesn’t take that $52 million opt in.