Rockets Rumors

Trade Rumors: Butler, Heat, Warriors, Porter, Vucevic

December 14th, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Although they haven’t received anything approaching a “serious offer” yet, the Heat have indeed shown a willingness to listen to inquiries on Jimmy Butler for the first time in his six seasons in Miami, league sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.

The Heat are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, but are still just 13-10 thus far in 2024/25. Aldridge says the organization is “sober” about the state of the current roster, noting the team made the play-in tournament each of the past two seasons, including a surprise run to the NBA Finals in 2023 after advancing to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

The two sides “seem destined” to part ways, according to Aldridge, who suggests Miami will likely prioritize a trade package centered around players rather than draft compensation, given the team’s “relentless” desire to contend for titles.

Aldridge says Butler’s preference would be to stay in Miami, but he wants a maximum-salary extension that Pat Riley has publicly said the team is in no rush to offer.

As Aldridge observes, in addition to listening to offers, the Heat are also likely trying to gauge what Butler’s free agent market could look like this summer, when he reportedly intends to decline his $52.4MM player option to hit free agency.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

NBA insider Marc Stein offers a similar report in his latest Substack column (subscription required), citing a “rising belief leaguewide” that Miami has become willing to part with Butler before the trade deadline. The majority of teams that Stein contacted believe Butler has started considering potential locations where he’d like to be traded, but one executive cautions that the Heat won’t move him without getting “fair value” in return. Stein adds that Miami officials aren’t concerned about losing Butler in free agency this summer if he’s not traded because he’ll be facing a limited market. Only the Nets currently have enough projected cap room for a maximum-salary offer.
Of the four teams considered to be favorable landing spots for Butler, only the Warriors are viewed as having enough interest to engage in “substantive” trade discussions, league insiders tell Stein. The Rockets and Mavericks haven’t displayed any “tangible” interest in pursuing Butler, according to Stein, while the Suns would have to include Bradley Beal, who holds a no-trade clause that discouraged the Heat from trying to trade for him in the summer of 2023.
As he previously noted in a podcast appearance this week, Stein hears that the Nuggets want to shake up their roster, and it appears Michael Porter Jr. would have to be included in any major deal. Stein wonders how much of a return Denver could get for Porter considering the limited market for New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram, who’s a similar player with better stats.
The Bulls are hoping to land a first-round pick in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic, Stein adds. Vucevic has increased his production in coach Billy Donovan’s new up-tempo offense, but Stein warns that the Bulls might have to be willing to take any Vucevic talks all the way to deadline day if they’re holding out for a first-rounder.

Jimmy Butler Notes: Nuggets, Finances, Rockets, Lee

December 13th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets should be “burning up the phone lines” to acquire star forward Jimmy Butler from the Heat, argues Chris Mannix of SI.com.

Denver isn’t one of the four teams that was identified this week as a preferred landing spot for Butler in the event of a trade, but there would be nothing stopping the Heat from sending him there if the Nuggets make an offer they like. And Mannix suggests it’d be a worthwhile gamble for Denver, writing that Butler could help pull the team “out of the mud.”

“He’d probably fit pretty well because he can cut without the basketball and he’s a great passer,” a rival assistant coach told Mannix. “And then defensively when he wants to, he can be a big-time defender. The shooting, obviously, he doesn’t shoot the ball well, so that would be a little bit problematic at times, but I think could probably be a net positive in the short term.”

Mannix doesn’t specify what he thinks a Nuggets package for Butler might look like, but assuming Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are off the table, it would have to include Michael Porter Jr. and at least two other players. A third team would likely have to be incentivized to take on one of those contracts (possibly Zeke Nnaji or Dario Saric) and the Nuggets would need to sweeten the deal for the Heat by adding young talent, draft assets, or some combination of the two.

Here’s more on Butler:

Any trade the Heat make this season, whether or not it involves Butler, will have “one eye on the present and the other on the future,” especially when it comes to the team’s finances, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link). As Bontemps writes, the Heat project to be a taxpayer for the second straight season in 2024/25, meaning they’ll have to duck out of tax territory in at least one of the next two seasons in order to avoid facing repeater penalties, which are even more punitive under the new CBA.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also weighs in on Butler’s situation in the same article, pointing out that the forward’s $52MM+ player option for 2025/26 gives him some leverage as the Heat weigh possible trade opportunities — while he plans to decline it to become a free agent, Butler doesn’t have to finalize that decision until June 29.
It’s “highly unlikely” the Rockets will pursue Butler, team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic, who notes that Butler’s age (35) is an “undeniable factor in the calculus.” Houston isn’t looking to add a star player who is in his mid-to-late 30s, which is one important reason why the club didn’t pursue James Harden in free agency in 2023, Amick adds.
In a YouTube video, Bobby Marks of ESPN breaks down the Butler situation and confirms that his colleague Shams Charania’s report about Dallas, Houston, Golden State, and Phoenix being viewed as favorable destinations by Butler was accurate, despite agent Bernie Lee‘s claims to the contrary. “What Shams put out there…that was 100% accurate,” Marks said. “From all the people I’ve talked to and all the people he’s talked to, 100% accurate. So I have no idea why Bernie Lee would go on a rampage that night, but it is what it is.”
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) takes a look at the “unique” relationship between Butler and Lee, who has made a habit of publicly advocating for his clients – especially on social media – rather than simply operating behind the scenes like many agents.
Ahead of the Heat’s victory over Toronto on Thursday – Miami’s fourth consecutive win – head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that he’s unfazed by the trade rumors surrounding his star player. “This is this profession,” Spoelstra said (Twitter link via Winderman). “You can’t get sick at sea over some narratives that are going out there. That’s going to happen in every organization at some point during a season.”

Latest On Jimmy Butler

December 12th, 2024 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

After being called out by agent Bernie Lee, who accused him of publishing “made-up bulls–t” about his client Jimmy Butler, Shams Charania responded to Lee and doubled down on his reporting during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’s First Take (YouTube link).

“I one thousand percent stand by my reporting,” Charania said. “It’s fully vetted, and as a professional, that’s what I do. That’s what I get paid to do, that’s what I’m going to do: report truthfully and accurately. That’s what this is, period.”

Charania reported on Tuesday that Lee had made it clear in league circles that Butler would be open to destinations like the Rockets, Mavericks, and Warriors if the Heat decided to trade him. On Wednesday, Charania added the Suns to that list.

Reports from other outlets have since indicated that Dallas and Phoenix are extremely unlikely landing spots for Butler for cap/CBA and personnel reasons, and the Rockets have repeatedly expressed that they don’t intend to make an in-season trade that breaks up their current core. But Charania reiterated during his ESPN appearance on Thursday morning that those are the teams Butler’s camp has circled as favorable ones in the event of a deal.

“I one thousand percent stand by it,” Charania said. “It is one thousand percent facts.”

Charania stressed on Thursday that Butler hasn’t requested a trade, so while the Heat are open to listening to offers, that doesn’t necessarily mean the 35-year-old forward will be on the move during the season. In fact, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during that same First Take segment that he thinks Butler would rather stay in Miami than be traded to any of those clubs mentioned by Charania.

“From what I understand, I think Jimmy Butler’s preference would be to sign an extension in Miami,” Windhorst said. “He had hoped to do that actually last summer, but (Heat president) Pat Riley came out at the end of last season and said that’s not what the Heat were doing, and they still haven’t made any progress on that. I think that’s what he would like to do. I think he would like to stay there.

“But as you talk to people around the league… most executives think if there’s any (big-name) player that could possibly get moved it would be Jimmy Butler,” Windhorst continued. “Because trade season opens basically on Sunday, I think that’s why you’re seeing interest pick up. The teams are going to start talking to each other and the players who want to get into comfortable situations with their contracts are going to start trying to leverage their position. So this is just the beginning of what I think will be a lot of what you hear about Jimmy Butler in the coming days and weeks.”

Here are a few more Butler-related items:

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports breaks down the likelihood of a Butler trade to one of the four teams reported by Charania, concluding that the Warriors make the most sense of the possible trade partners in that group. However, O’Connor notes that the Heat could easily hang onto Butler through the trade deadline or expand their scope to other would-be suitors. Of all the hypothetical landing spots O’Connor explores, he views the Nuggets as the most logical fit, though there has been no indication Denver is interested.
Keith Smith of Spotrac explores possible Butler trade scenarios from a salary cap and CBA perspective, explaining why it would be difficult – but not impossible – for the Heat to make a deal with most teams.
In case you missed it, we wrote earlier today about the possibility of mutual interest between Butler and the Nets. However, Brooklyn figures to only be a potential suitor in free agency next summer, not on the trade market during the season.

Warriors’ Kerr Rips Refs For ‘Unconscionable’ Call After NBA Cup Loss

December 12th, 2024 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

After the Warriors fell to the Rockets in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday by a score of 91-90, a furious Steve Kerr blasted the officiating crew for a late-game call that led to Houston’s winning free throws, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“I’m pissed off,” the Warriors’ head coach said. “I wanted to go to Las Vegas. We wanted to win this Cup, and we aren’t going because of a loose ball foul, 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, and that was ridiculous.”

With Golden State up 90-89 and about 10 seconds left on the clock, Stephen Curry missed a three-point attempt and both teams scrambled to corral the rebound (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). Warriors guard Gary Payton II initially fell on the ball and attempted to pass it to Jonathan Kuminga as two Houston defenders descended on him. Rockets guard Jalen Green gained control and attempted to call a timeout while Kuminga tried to pry the ball away from him.

A whistle blew at that point, but rather than calling a jump ball or a Rockets timeout, referee crew chief Bill Kennedy ruled that Kuminga had committed a foul, awarding Green two free throws with just four seconds left on the clock. Green made both to give the Rockets the lead and Brandin Podziemski had a buzzer-beater attempt blocked by Jabari Smith Jr. to clinch Houston’s win and its spot in the NBA Cup semifinals.

“The defender makes contact with the neck and shoulder area, warranting a personal foul to be called,” Kennedy told a pool reporter after the game in explaining the call on Kuminga.

Kerr, who referred to the foul call as one an “elementary school referee” would have made, argued that the game’s officials had allowed plenty of physical play to that point and that the foul called on Kuminga was hardly the only contact that occurred during the fight for the rebound off Curry’s miss.

“I’ve never seen a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation, 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line,” Kerr said. “I’ve never seen that. I think I saw it in college one time 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is, I mean, unconscionable.

“I don’t even understand what just happened. Loose ball, diving on the floor, 80 feet from the basket, and you’re going to give a guy two free throws to decide the game when people are scrambling for the ball. Just give them a timeout and let the players decide the game. That’s how you officiate. Especially because the game was a complete wrestling match. They didn’t call anything.

“So you’ve established you’re just not going to call anything throughout the game. It’s a physical game. And call a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation with guys diving on the floor? With the game on the line? This is a billion-dollar industry. You got people’s jobs on the line.”

Curry, who was also upset after no foul was called on one of his shot attempts earlier in the fourth quarter (video link), expressed dissatisfaction after the game with both rulings. He admitted that the Warriors, who didn’t score in the final three minutes of the game and were still up by six points with 90 seconds to play, had to take responsibility the loss, but made it clear those officiating decisions didn’t help.

“We can talk about the refs all day, it’s not why we lost,” Curry said. “But there are swings in the game, obviously the last two free throws and that play, it’s a five-point swing.”

Kerr was also critical of the officiating crew after a loss to the Nuggets last Tuesday, screaming at the referees as the game ended and griping about a late-game call during his post-game media session. He wasn’t disciplined by the NBA for those remarks, but seems very likely to face a fine this time around.

NBA Cup Semifinals Set; Sunday Games Scheduled For Eliminated Teams

December 12th, 2024 at 6:41am CST by Luke Adams

Following Atlanta’s and Houston’s wins in Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal matchups, the semifinals for the NBA’s second annual in-season tournament have been set, with the Hawks, Bucks, Rockets, and Thunder advancing to the final four.

Both games will be played on Saturday, December 14, and the matchups and tip-off times are as follows, per the league (Twitter link):

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (3:30 pm Central time)
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 pm CT)

Both games will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the winners squaring off in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday.

Players on the team that win the NBA Cup will be awarded $514,970 apiece in prize money, while bonuses for the runner-up team will be worth $205,988 apiece and the semifinal losers will receive $102,994 each. In each instance, the bonuses for players on two-way contracts will be worth half that amount.

Players on the Knicks, Magic, Warriors, and Mavericks will receive bonuses of $51,497 apiece ($25,749 for two-way players) after being eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Those four teams have also had an extra game added to their regular season schedules to ensure they get the necessary 82. Those games will be played on Sunday, Dec. 15 and are as follows:

New York Knicks at Orlando Magic (5:00 pm CT)
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (7:30 pm CT)

Since both Dallas and Golden State played on the road in the NBA Cup knockout round, the Mavericks will be the unlucky team that ends up with 42 road games and 40 home games on its schedule this season, since they were the lower-seeded quarterfinalist. The Magic played on the road in the quarterfinals, while the Knicks lost at home, so the home/road schedules for the Eastern clubs will be evenly balanced.

Stein’s Latest: Butler, Wizards, Jazz, Nets, H. Jones, Sixers, Cavaliers

December 11th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets, Mavericks and Warriors are the teams most often linked to a potential Jimmy Butler trade, but none of them are considered certain to make a strong bid to acquire the Heat star, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Stein views Golden State as the most serious contender among the group, with sources telling him that the Warriors have expressed some interest in Butler and one informant saying the team wants to “take a swing” on a significant move by the trade deadline. Stein notes that Golden State attempted to land Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason, even though those efforts were unsuccessful. He adds that Draymond Green has experience playing alongside Butler on the U.S. Olympic team in 2016.

Houston has plenty of assets to offer in exchange for Butler, but Stein points to general manager Rafael Stone‘s stance that he doesn’t plan to pursue a major in-season trade. The Rockets have also let it be known that age considerations will be important if they do go after a star, making sure that player is on a similar timeline as the rest of their young core. That would seem to exclude any interest in the 35-year-old Butler.

Financial restraints will likely prevent the Mavericks from getting involved, Stein adds. They already have Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on max contracts, and both players will become eligible for new deals in July. Stein doesn’t believe Dallas is looking for another player like Butler, who is used to having the ball in his hands.

Butler, who has a $52.4MM player option for next season, has been open about his intention to pursue free agency. Meeting with reporters after Wednesday’s practice, he refused to commit when asked if he wants to finish his career in Miami.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “I’m pretty sure y’all are going to get a report that’s going to say otherwise anyways. So there’s no sense in me answering that question.”

Stein offers more inside information from around the NBA:

The Wizards, Jazz and Nets are the primary sellers as the league’s unofficial trade season gets set to open Sunday, with a rival executive telling Stein, “When you call them, they’re willing to make a deal right now.” Stein hears that the Raptors, Trail Blazers and Bulls are also being monitored to see if they’re interested in parting with certain players. Sources tell Stein that Brooklyn is asking for at least one first-round pick in exchange for swingman Dorian Finney-Smith or point guard Dennis Schröder. Washington is “increasingly regarded as likely” to pursue trades involving Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon while listening to offers for Kyle Kuzma, who is in the second season of a four-year, $90MM contract.
Sources tell Stein that the Pelicans have no interest in fielding offers for Herbert Jones despite the team’s disastrous 5-20 start. Jones is the team’s best perimeter defender and is under contract through the 2026/27 season.
The Sixers aren’t expected to be active in December, according to Stein, because their most logical trade chip — KJ Martin — doesn’t become trade eligible until January 15.
Scouts believe the Cavaliers will try to acquire at least one more wing before the deadline, Stein adds. Even though Cleveland is at the top of the East, there’s a belief that the team will need to upgrade its perimeter defense for the playoffs.

Southwest Notes: Ingram, Pelicans, Udoka, Wells, Smart

December 11th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans were upset about the play that caused Brandon Ingram‘s ankle injury, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com, who says the team sent video of the play to the league office to review. They hadn’t heard back as of Tuesday, per head coach Willie Green.

The injury occurred after Ingram attempted to rise up for a shot over Luguentz Dort (Twitter video link). Ingram’s elbow appeared to make contact with the Thunder defender, causing him to fall backwards to the floor. When Ingram landed, he came down on Dort’s foot, twisting his ankle. An offensive foul was called, with the Pelicans arguing that Dort didn’t give Ingram enough room to make a normal shot attempt or to land after his jump. However, their challenge was denied.

“If you go back and watch that play, he (Dort) got up under B.I,” Green said on Tuesday. “They called an offensive foul and we didn’t agree with that.”

It’s unclear what the Pelicans hope to accomplish by getting the league office involved, but regardless of whether anything comes of it, Ingram will still be sidelined indefinitely. It’s the latest health issue for a player who has missed between 18 and 37 regular season games in his previous three seasons.

“Mentally, having the injury has been tough for him,” Green said. “I’ve had a chance to talk with him. It’s going to be something that he has to continue to try to take some positives out of it, take it day-by-day and attack each day. The good news is it’s not career ending. It’s not career threatening. It’s not season threatening. It’s just a matter of how soon can he get back to himself.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Will the Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram? Trade Zion Williamson? Trade both? Keep both and run it back next season? William Guillory of The Athletic considers the paths available to New Orleans and weighs the likelihood of each outcome. In Guillory’s view, an Ingram trade seems likely to happen by February 6, but the franchise still seems committed to making things work with Williamson.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN outlines how Ime Udoka‘s ornery, hard-nosed personality has bled into the Rockets‘ culture since his arrival in Houston in 2023 and how the head coach’s high standards for his players have helped fuel the team’s turnaround after several seasons in the lottery. According to Udoka, veteran point guard Fred VanVleet sometimes “goes against his natural inclination” and plays “good cop” to Udoka’s bad cap since the Rockets coach can be so harsh on his young players.
Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells, who is making a case for Rookie of the Year consideration this fall, spoke to Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda about his strong start, his “learning moments,” and the impact Marcus Smart has had on his development as a veteran leader. “Marcus has been huge for me,” Wells told Afseth. “He talks to me during walkthroughs, in the locker room, and on the court. He’s always giving me tips, whether it’s about tendencies or how to play tough without fouling. Watching how he sets the tone defensively has taught me a lot.”

GM Rafael Stone: Rockets Not Looking To Make Big In-Season Trade

December 11th, 2024 at 7:48am CST by Luke Adams

With the Heat said to be open to listening to inquiries on star forward Jimmy Butler, the Rockets have been identified multiple times as a possible landing spot for the Houston native. However, while Rafael Stone couldn’t address Butler specifically, the Rockets general manager made it clear during a SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance on Tuesday that he doesn’t plan to pursue a star on the trade market this season (Twitter audio link).

“Of course, my job is to be open to everything, so I’m not going to not do my job,” Stone said. “(But) we like this team. We definitely do not intend to change anything and I would be shocked if something changes this season.

“We like where we’re at. We want to continue to develop our guys, full stop. Will I listen to other teams? Of course I will, that’s my job. But again, there’s no part of me, there’s no part of our decision-making process that suggests that we’re looking to do anything big now or in the near term.

“We definitely want this group to be as good as it can be this year and then we’ll evaluate things at the end of the year. But the hope is very much that this core group can lead us to where we want to go and that – from a transactional perspective – we’re largely done.”

That messaging isn’t new. Reporting from both The Athletic and ESPN in recent weeks indicated the Rockets are spreading the word that they’re not interested in breaking up their core this season. Stone is now expressing that sentiment publicly and even taking it a step further, suggesting that Houston’s belief in its current roster is so strong that the team won’t be looking to shake up the roster even after this season.

Whether Stone and the Rockets stick that stance remains to be seen. It will depend in part on how the rest of the 2024/25 campaign plays out and how the club’s young players continue to develop.

Of course, Stone’s comments and the Rockets’ position could also be a negotiating tactic. That was one point that ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst made during their discussion about Houston’s plans on an episode of the Hoop Collective podcast last week.

“This is exactly what you do when you have 19 interesting trade assets, all these draft picks and all these young guys,” Bontemps said at the time. “You say, ‘Hey, every good thing we’ve got, we’re not sure we’re going to do anything with any of those.’ And then you start to negotiate.”

The 16-8 Rockets, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, are loaded with valuable trade chips – including players and future draft picks – and are well equipped to make a major deal if the right player is available. Seven players on the roster were first-round picks in the past four drafts and are 23 or younger. Houston also controls an extra first-round pick and draft swap rights in both 2027 and 2029.

Injury Updates: Clingan, P. Williams, Rockets, Pacers

December 10th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Donovan Clingan, the No. 7 overall pick of June’s draft, has been cleared for on-court workouts as he ramps up toward a return, according to the Trail Blazers, who announced (via Twitter) that the rookie center is day-to-day going forward.

Clingan has been sidelined for the past seven games after sustaining a sprained MCL in his left knee. The former UConn big man, who won back-to-back national championships with the Huskies, was off to an impressive start to his professional career prior to the injury, averaging 5.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in just 17.0 minutes per game in his first 17 appearances.

Clingan nearing a return is welcome news for the Blazers, who have lost six of their past seven games, including four straight. He’s not the only reserve big man who has been out lately, as Robert Williams has missed the past six games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol. Duop Reath, another backup center, also missed Sunday’s loss with back soreness.

According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), head coach Chauncey Billups said Clingan was able to do “pretty much everything” during Tuesday’s practice. Billups is optimistic that Clingan will be able to return for Friday’s matchup vs. San Antonio, Highkin adds.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who has been out since November 18 due to inflammation in his surgically repaired left foot, was a full participant in Tuesday’s non-contact practice and is slated to participate in tomorrow’s “contact, scrimmage-filled practice,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). “It’s been tough. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I played,” Williams said, according to Johnson (Twitter link). Head coach Billy Donovan said last week that there was a chance Williams could return at some point this week — Chicago’s next game is Friday vs. Charlotte.
The Rockets will get a couple of key reinforcements back for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against Golden State, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Point guard Fred VanVleet said he’ll return to action after missing Sunday’s game with a right knee injury, and third-year forward Tari Eason has cleared the league’s concussion protocol following a two-game absence.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently provided updates on injured wings Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays (via Twitter). Nesmith, who has been out since Nov. 1 due to a left ankle sprain, is still “weeks away” from returning, while Sheppard, who has been sidelined since Nov. 17 due to an oblique injury, is closer to playing.

Heat Open To Listening To Offers For Jimmy Butler

December 10th, 2024 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat are open to listening to trade inquiries on star forward Jimmy Butler and making a deal if they get an offer they like, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Insider link).

Reporting in the wake of Miami’s elimination from the 2024 playoffs indicated that Butler would be seeking a maximum-salary extension during the offseason. Asked about that possibility during his end-of-season press conference, president of basketball operations Pat Riley expressed reluctance to make that sort of financial investment in a player “unless you have someone who is going to be available every night,” a reference to Butler’s injury issues in recent seasons.

Butler subsequently decided to put off extension discussions and remain with the Heat rather than pushing for a trade.

As Charania writes, the 35-year-old still has a strong affinity for Miami and has been professional throughout this season, but with the Heat having hovered around play-in territory for the last couple years and Butler potentially reaching free agency at season’s end, the front office has been “open-minded” about trade inquires.

According to Charania, Butler’s agent Bernie Lee has made it clear in league circles that Butler would be open to destinations like the Rockets, Mavericks, and Warriors. While Butler is a Texas native, his top priority in the event of a trade is believed to be joining a team capable of contending for a championship.

Teams, including the Heat, have been informed that Butler intends to turn down his $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season in order to become a free agent next summer, sources tell ESPN. Still, given that few teams project to have significant cap room in 2025, the club that has Butler on its roster at the end of the season would likely be the favorite to re-sign him, since that club would hold his Bird rights.

Butler has missed five games for health reasons so far this season, but has been effective in his 17 outings, averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 32.1 minutes per game, with a .557/.360/.787 shooting line. The Heat have gone 10-7 in the games he has played and have a record of 2-3 when he’s been out.

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