Jimmy Butler

Shams: Heat Want To Trade Jimmy Butler “As Soon As Possible”

January 4th, 2025 at 9:35am CST by Rory Maher

In an appearance on SportsCenter late Friday night (YouTube link), Shams Charania of ESPN gave the latest update on Jimmy Butler‘s situation in Miami, stating that the Heat would prefer to trade the six-time All-Star “as soon as possible.”

The Heat recently suspended Butler for seven games, but the duration was largely irrelevant, as no one actually expects him to play another game for Miami, according to Charania.

“This is a clear-cut end to the Butler-Heat relationship,” Charania said. “And as stunning as the seven-game suspension was around the league, more than anything this was an avenue for the Heat to keep Jimmy Butler away from the team over these next couple of weeks. The situation around the Heat with Jimmy Butler there had become unmanageable.

“ … From my understanding, the goal right now is to move Butler as soon as possible. And I’m told the Heat have spoken with teams as of Friday about Butler trades and they will continue to engage with teams. … Just eight days ago, (president) Pat Riley came out and said ‘we are not trading Jimmy Butler.’ Now, the Heat are fully open for business, and the writing is officially on the wall for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.”

One trade package that might appeal to the Heat would be a “relatively inexpensive good player” — whether on an expiring or multiyear contract — plus other expiring deals to match salaries with Butler’s $48.8MM outgoing cap hit, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Getting another star player in return for Butler would be “very appealing” to the Heat, but Jackson acknowledges that will be a challenge.

Although Charania reported that Miami would like to move the five-time All-NBA forward as soon it can, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald hears a potential trade will be determined by the types of offers the team receives, and the Heat aren’t necessarily in a rush to deal Butler (Twitter link).

Butler, 35, has averaged 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 22 appearances this season (30.8 MPG). His shooting slash line is .552/.375/.788.

Atlantic Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Towns, Butler

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Raptors‘ anticipated starting five heading into the 2024/25 season has yet to play a game together. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), forward RJ Barrett was originally listed as questionable to suit up against the Magic on Friday due to an illness — had he played, it would have marked the first time Toronto’s starters were all available.

Barrett was eventually ruled out against Orlando, per Murphy (via Twitter). Ochai Agbaji started in his stead, scoring 15 points in the 106-97 loss. The team fell to 8-27 on the season and dropped its ninth game among its last 10.

The next opportunity for the Raptors to field all of their first five will be in a Monday matchup with the 17-15 Bucks.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

On New Year’s Day against the Nets, Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley made his first return to action after a 22-game absence. His comeback from a partially torn UCL in his left elbow could open up the offense of All-Star forward Scottie Barnes, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who opines that Quickley’s abilities as a play-maker and distributor should help Barnes as a scorer. “It was amazing,” Barnes said of Quickley’s return. “ Something that we really missed, and we needed. His play-making ability, his ability to get to the paint, his shooting, all that, we needed it.”
Knicks All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns is thriving during his second stint with head coach Tom Thibodeau. Towns believes the two-time Coach of the Year has greatly altered his approach in New York, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Towns notes that Thibodeau is now “a different man” and far more mellow. “I like this version going into 2025,” Towns said. Thibodeau previously coached Towns from 2016-19 on the Timberwolves. Towns and fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson have clicked incredibly well together on offense, a new point of emphasis for Thibodeau. All told, New York is 24-11 on the year, good for the East’s No. 3 seed. “I’ve grown since the time when we were together in Minnesota,” Towns said of Thibodeau. “He’s grown. I think that we’re just, in this game of life, we’re just finding ourselves and getting better all the time.”
The Sixers explored a potential trade to reacquire embattled Heat All-Star forward Jimmy Butler during this past offseason, notes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Seven-time All-Star Philadelphia center Joel Embiid had been pushing for a reunion with Butler, alongside whom he played for part of the 2018/19 season. The five-time All-NBA swingman departed for Miami in free agency. Prior to the team’s signing of Paul George, Butler had been known to be on the Sixers’ list of potential summer targets, but the Heat weren’t really considering moving him during the offseason. Now, Butler’s relationship with Miami has soured to the point that the Heat have suspended him for seven games and have indicated they are amenable to a trade.

Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler Seven Games

January 3rd, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

9:19PM: The NBPA has issued a statement (Twitter link) criticizing Butler’s suspension, and confirming that it intends to file a grievance.

“The seven-game suspension imposed tonight by the Miami Heat on Jimmy Butler is excessive and inappropriate, and we intend to file a grievance challenging the discipline,” the NBPA declared.

7:20 pm: The National Basketball Players Association intends to file a grievance to contest the Heat’s decision to suspend Butler for seven games, sources inform Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN (via Twitter).

Due to how long it takes for the grievance process to play out, it will likely not prevent Butler from missing any of these games, but there’s a chance he could retroactively recoup some salary.

6:11 pm: The Heat have announced that they have suspended six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler for seven games as he continues to agitate for a trade (Twitter link).

“We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks,” the team said in its statement.

“Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”

On Thursday, word broke that Butler had let Miami know he wants to be traded and that he’s open to being sent to any team. This news arrived on the heels of an initial report on Christmas that Butler preferred a trade but hadn’t explicitly asked for one.

Team president Pat Riley announced just eight days ago that the Heat had zero intention of trading Butler this season. After Butler submitted a pair of passive, disengaged performances this week vs. New Orleans and Indiana and then asked to be dealt, the team appears to have changed its tune, indicating that it is very much open for business.

Butler has a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 and has reportedly conveyed that he plans to decline that option to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. That and his $48.8MM salary for 2024/25, along with his age (35) and injury history, may make him difficult to trade.

The Warriors, Suns, Mavericks, and his hometown Rockets had been floated as Butler’s preferred landing spots in a deal, but the Heat figure to listen to any team that expresses interest.

The suspension will cost Butler $336,543 per game in salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/145th of his overall salary and will work out to a total of $2,355,798 over seven games.

Trade Rumors: Butler, C. Johnson, Nets, Grizzlies, Pelicans

January 3rd, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The rest of the NBA is watching the standoff between the Heat and Jimmy Butler with “their popcorn out,” according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), who notes that team president Pat Riley doesn’t make a habit of deferring to his star players, operating with a “bluntness and strength” that’s somewhat atypical of team executives in this era.

“You cannot intimidate Pat Riley,” one prominent player agent said to ESPN.

As Windhorst details, Riley let longtime franchise star Dwyane Wade walk over a contract dispute in free agency in 2016 and reportedly shut down LeBron James when the star forward hinted he wanted head coach Erik Spoelstra replaced back in 2010. If the longtime Heat president approaches the Butler situation with a similar mindset, he’s not likely to grant the 35-year-old’s trade request if he doesn’t like what Miami is getting in return.

“The Heat make mistakes and sometimes have issues with players just like everyone else,” one general manager told Windhorst. “But they do not get pushed around.”

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN points out within the same story, under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, it’s not necessarily the worst outcome to have a maximum-salary free agent walk away for nothing. The Clippers took that route with Paul George this past offseason, opting for additional cap flexibility rather than taking back contracts that they didn’t want and would’ve had trouble moving. If the trade offers for Butler are underwhelming, the Heat may decide that’s the best path for them too.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

While Cameron Johnson is among the most coveted trade targets in the NBA, talks involving the Nets forward are expected to be more complex than the ones for Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Windhorst, so they’ll take more time. There will be more suitors in play for Johnson, and Brooklyn has made it clear the price will be higher than it was for its other veterans. As Windhorst writes, the Nets have expressed a belief that Johnson could be a long-term keeper, since he’d fit well alongside just about any impact player they’re able to land in the coming years. Still, at least one rival executive believes that stance may just be a negotiating tactic. “That’s all good to say, but they’ll trade him if they get what they want,” the exec said. “They like him as a player and a person and all that, but they built his contract specifically to be able to trade him by next summer.”
The bidding war between Memphis and the Lakers for Finney-Smith resulted in “hard feelings emanating” from the Grizzlies and the Nets for the way their talks played out, according to Windhorst. That doesn’t mean the two sides can’t come together for another deal – Memphis is reportedly among Johnson’s possible suitors – but it’s something worth keeping in mind ahead of February 6.
Bontemps asked several people around the NBA how many players earning more than Johnson’s $22.5MM will be traded at this season’s deadline. “Not many,” one said. Another replied, “Maybe two?” The thinking is that CBA-related restrictions will complicate moves involving players with significant cap hits.
William Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at the Pelicans‘ trade options, identifying Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy, and Yves Missi as the only players on the roster who are essentially untouchable this season. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins, and Jose Alvarado aren’t technically in that group, but are also unlikely trade candidates, in Guillory’s view.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Both sides are angry in the Jimmy Butler standoff, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be traded by the February 6 deadline, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Butler’s comments after Thursday’s game about hoping to “get my joy back from playing basketball” came after a conversation earlier in the day between his representatives and Heat officials, sources tell the authors. Butler was upset because he and his agent believed the team was implying he didn’t play hard in Wednesday’s game against New Orleans, which he finished with nine points and four rebounds in 25 minutes as he returned to the lineup after missing five games with an illness.

Team representatives contend Thursday’s meeting was a “macro level discussion” that addressed concerns over Butler’s behavior as trade rumors have intensified over the last few weeks.

Butler and his agent are claiming that the team threatened to suspend him after the Pelicans game, Jackson tweets, but Heat officials deny that ever happened.

With Butler’s future in Miami almost guaranteed to end following this season, if not earlier, Jackson and Chiang see three potential resolutions. The most immediate is a trade before next month’s deadline, but the authors point out problems with each of Butler’s preferred destinations.

If he’s sent to the Warriors, Miami would almost certainly have to take back Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, paying him $28.2MM and $30.2MM over the next two years. Jackson and Chiang note that the Heat’s projected tax bill of more than $15MM comes in part from giving large salaries to Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier. Another big contract for a non-All Star would worsen the team’s financial position, with Bam Adebayo on a max deal and Tyler Herro averaging $30MM per season.

The same issue exists with the Suns, as the authors state that Miami has “no interest” in taking on Bradley Beal, who is still owed $160MM. However, they believe the equation could change if Kevin Durant decides to ask out of Phoenix amid a disappointing start to the season.

Butler has also reportedly expressed a desire to join the Rockets or Mavericks, but Jackson and Chiang note that Houston has denied interest in taking on older players, while Dallas doesn’t have enough trade assets to interest Miami.

The Nuggets could emerge as another possibility by offering Michael Porter Jr., the authors state. However, they caution that he has also never been an All-Star and is owed $38.3MM and $40.8MM over the next two seasons. A third team would be necessary to complete most of these deals, but Detroit at $14MM is currently the only option with cap space.

Butler could also be traded this summer, either by picking up his $52.4MM player option or declining it and working with the team on a sign-and-trade. The issue there would be that most teams aren’t in position to absorb Butler’s salary outright and would have to send out contracts in order to accommodate him.

If Miami isn’t interested in what Butler’s suitors have to offer, a third or fourth team might be necessary to take on that unwanted salary. Jackson and Chiang project that up to 11 teams are in position to create cap room during the offseason to help facilitate a trade.

If Miami could trade Butler without taking back salary in return, it would leave the team with a trade exception equal to whatever Butler will be making in the first season of his new contract, along with a non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $14.1MM and the $5.1MM bi-annual exception. They would have 10 players under contract — possibly 11 if Keshad Johnson exercises his $1.9MM player option — at a total cost of about $141MM, roughly $13.6MM below the projected salary cap.

The final option is for Butler to sign elsewhere in free agency, but the authors consider that less likely because only Brooklyn currently projects to have enough cap room to offer a deal in his desired salary range without the Heat’s help.

Western Notes: Nurkic, Fox, Davis, Blazers, Harden

January 2nd, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a report to the contrary, the Suns aren’t actively shopping Jusuf Nurkic, a source tells Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).

While the distinction may matter to Nurkic himself, the question of whether or not the veteran center is being “actively shopped” likely comes down to semantics, since it’s clear Phoenix would move him if the right opportunity arises.

However, it won’t be easy to find that right opportunity. Nurkic, who has one more guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, will have limited value on the trade market and may be easier to trade in the offseason, Bourguet notes. The Suns also can’t aggregate salaries in a trade since they’re operating over the second tax apron, meaning Nurkic can’t be dealt for a player earning more than he is ($18.13MM).

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Weighing in on the De’Aaron Fox situation in Sacramento, Marc Stein (Substack link) covers many of the same bases that Sam Amick of The Athletic did earlier today, writing that teams are keeping a close eye on the situation even though the Kings aren’t yet willing to entertain the idea of trading their star point guard. Discussing the possibility of the Rockets pursuing Fox, Stein cautions not to assume Houston will be in the mix, even though the 27-year-old fits the team’s timeline better than previously rumored targets like Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant. Rockets officials like how the current roster looks and may not zero in on Fox as the player they want to sacrifice several valuable assets to acquire, Stein writes.
The Lakers held Anthony Davis out of action on Thursday vs. Portland due to a left ankle sprain. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays (via Twitter), head coach JJ Redick said before the game that the Lakers want to “be smart” about Davis’ lingering ankle soreness and pointed out that the team faces a challenging January schedule, with 17 games in the next 30 days.
In a preview of what 2025 holds for the Trail Blazers, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) reiterates a point he has made before, writing that it’s “hard to picture” a scenario in which Chauncey Billups is still coaching the Blazers by the time the 2025/26 season tips off. Highkin also explores where things stand with Portland’s top trade candidates and the Blazers’ ownership situation, among other topics.
Clippers star James Harden was downgraded to questionable and then ruled out for the team’s Thursday game vs. Oklahoma City due to groin soreness. As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, Harden also missed one game last month due to a groin issue — if the ailment isn’t any more serious this time around, it shouldn’t cause him to miss much – if any – additional time.

Jimmy Butler Tells Heat He Wants Trade

January 2nd, 2025 at 10:22pm CST by Luke Adams

10:22pm: Butler has indicated to the Heat that he wants to be traded, according to Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Although Charania previously identified the Suns, Warriors, Mavericks, and Rockets as favored landing spots for Butler, he and Windhorst now say the forward doesn’t intend to give the Heat a list of preferred destinations and that he’s open to going anywhere.

Butler, who plans to take part in team activities and do what the Heat ask of him during the process, believes he can make any team a contender, regardless of where he’s sent, sources tell ESPN.

According to Charania and Windhorst, Riley and Heat owner Micky Arison have met with Butler’s representation in recent days in the hopes of bridging the divide between the two sides, but those efforts weren’t successful.

Confirming previous reports, ESPN’s duo says there has been tension between Butler and the Heat since the team indicated near the start of the offseason that it wouldn’t be offering him an extension and since Riley scolded Butler for his claim that the Celtics and Knicks would “be at home” if he had been able to play in the postseason. Riley and Butler’s relationship has yet to recover, sources tell ESPN.

9:54pm: For a second straight night after returning from a five-game absence, Heat star Jimmy Butler appeared passive and disengaged during his time on the court on Thursday, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Butler has totaled just 18 points on 11 shot attempts across Miami’s past two games, spending much of his time in the corner without the ball in his hands. While his quiet night didn’t prevent the Heat from picking up a win over New Orleans on Wednesday, the club was beaten soundly by Indiana on Thursday and Butler was a team-worst minus-27 in his 27 minutes of action.

Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s loss, head coach Erik Spoelstra referred to Butler’s performances as “aberrational,” suggesting that he was more concerned about his club’s poor defensive play, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Spoelstra added that the team needed to get the ball into Butler’s hands more to get him going, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Butler’s demeanor is being monitored closely since a Christmas Day report indicated he preferred a trade out of Miami and Heat president Pat Riley announced a day later that the club wouldn’t be moving the 35-year-old. When he rejoined the team on Tuesday, Butler told reporters that he was “happy” and intended to make the most out of his current situation. However, he didn’t exactly strike the same tone in his post-game media session on Thursday.

“I feel like I did my job, or what at least my job is now,” Butler said when asked about his performance (Twitter video link via Wes Goldberg of Locked on Heat). When a reporter mentioned Spoelstra’s comments about getting the ball in his hands more, Butler shook his head and replied, “That ain’t gonna fix it.”

“I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball,” Butler said when asked what he wants to see happen next. “Wherever that may be. We’ll find out here pretty soon. But I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here off the court, but… I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now I’m not doing that.”

Asked by a reporter if he can get his on-court joy back in Miami, Butler responded, “Probably not.”

The Heat, who were said to be underwhelmed by their options for Butler on the trade market, had hoped to put the issue to bed when Riley said in a statement last Thursday that the six-time All-Star wouldn’t be going anywhere. The goal at that point was to focus on the current season and wait until the summer to figure out Butler’s future. He holds a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 that he reportedly plans to decline.

However, given how the last two games – and Butler’s latest media session – have gone, it’s getting increasingly more difficult to imagine him being content with playing out the season in Miami. With five weeks still to go until the February 6 trade deadline, the Heat front office figures to be weighing its next move.

Jimmy Butler Rejoins Heat, Addresses Trade Rumors

December 31st, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing two games due to an illness and three due to return-to-competition reconditioning, Heat forward Jimmy Butler rejoined the team on Tuesday, participating in practice and telling reporters that he’ll play in Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays, Butler also spoke to the media about last week’s ESPN report suggesting that he prefers to be traded out of Miami. Heat president Pat Riley announced a day after that report that the club wouldn’t be trading its star forward.

“Does it matter?” Butler said today when asked if he prefers a trade. “I honestly do not care about getting traded, where I’m supposed to go, who’s saying what…. All of that is out of my control anyway.”

Reporters in Miami posed a series of questions related to Butler’s future, including whether he’d be content if he’s not traded this season, whether it’s in his and the Heat’s best interests to have an amicable divorce in the summer of 2025, and whether he wants to be in Miami. In each case, he began his answer by saying, “I don’t know.”

The 35-year-old also said he’s “happy” and “in a good space,” adding that he’ll defer to Riley on roster decisions.

“Right now, I’m here and I’m to make the most of it,” Butler said. “I am going to compete and I’m going to win. It’s a lot of talk, a lot of noise, which I’m cool with. It doesn’t bother me at all. I love that. I thrive at it. It keeps you all wondering, the world wondering. It’s good to be talked about. Even better to be wanted.”

Asked if he and/or his agent have talked to Riley, Butler offered no comment, simply replying, “Next.”

While Butler’s remarks suggest he doesn’t intend to take the scorched-earth route he did six years ago in Minnesota to force a trade, he also passed on the opportunity to put the issue to bed, offering vague responses and not outright denying that he prefers a trade. Despite Riley’s statement last Thursday about not trading Butler, this still looks like a situation worth keeping an eye on as the February 6 trade deadline nears.

In addition to addressing the trade rumors, Butler also spoke about his five-game absence, explaining that he was “pretty messed up” as a result of a bad stomach illness, but that he’s feeling better now and looking forward to getting back on the court. It’s possible Miami will be down a player or two as a result of Sunday’s altercation vs. the Rockets – the NBA has yet to announce suspensions and/or fines – so Butler’s return should be a welcome one.

Southeast Notes: Butler, Love, Mann, Champagnie

December 30th, 2024 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat forward Jimmy Butler is expected to practice on Tuesday and return to action on Wednesday against the Pelicans, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang reports. Butler has missed the last five games after battling a flu-like illness.

Miami president Pat Riley issued a statement last week that he wasn’t going to trade Butler, who holds a $52.4MM player option on next year’s contract. Butler is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Kevin Love has fallen out of the rotation as the Heat coaching staff takes a long look at rookie Kel’el Ware as the backup center. Love says he’s staying ready for whenever he’s needed. “I know I still have good basketball ahead of me,” he said, per Chiang. “I don’t think I’m an 82-game guy anymore. But certainly, just help wherever the team needs me, whether that’s on the court or away from the court.”
Hornets guard Tre Mann has continued rehabilitation for disc irritation and has increased the intensity of his on-court work and individual workouts, the team’s PR department tweets. He will be reevaluated in two weeks. Mann, who hasn’t played since Nov. 21, is averaging 14.1 points and 3.0 assists in 13 games off the bench. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency during the 2025 offseason.
The Knicks and Wizards are playing each other again tonight after New York pulled out a four-point overtime victory on Saturday night. Justin Champagnie, who is on a two-way contract, had a breakout game on Saturday with a career-best 31 points. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to show what I can do for a while. … When I get on the floor, I just let it flow,” he told Varun Shankar of the Washington Post.

Jimmy Butler Out At Least Two More Games

December 27th, 2024 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Jimmy Butler remains in Miami and won’t rejoin the Heat until after they return from their current road trip, the team announced today (via Twitter).

That means Butler, who is being listed as out due to return-to-competition reconditioning following an illness, will miss games in Atlanta on Saturday and in Houston on Sunday before rejoining the Heat ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. the Pelicans in Miami. This weekend’s contests will be the fourth and fifth in a row that Butler has missed.

According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, the original expectation had been that Butler would travel to Orlando to meet up with the club following Thursday’s game vs. the Magic and would be on the team flight to Atlanta on Friday.

The timing of Butler’s absence is notable, given that ESPN reported on Wednesday he prefers to be traded out of Miami and team president Pat Riley announced on Thursday that the 35-year-old isn’t going anywhere. While there’s no doubt Butler was legitimately sick, it’ll raise some eyebrows that he’ll end up missing three games due to “return-to-competition conditioning” after missing just two due to that illness.

Still, there has been no confirmation from the team or from reporters that Butler’s extended recovery period is connected to those recent trade rumors or Riley’s statement.

We’ll see what the six-time All-Star has to say about the situation during his first media availability after the Heat return home early next week. Until then, it remains possible that things could escalate instead of quieting down, though multiple reports indicated earlier this week that Butler is fine with the idea of finishing out the season in Miami and intends to remain professional.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets, the Heat announced on Thursday that they don’t intend to move Butler for a few reasons: They’re comfortable with their options for Butler next summer, even if he opts out of his contract; they want to win as many games as possible this season and believe Butler helps them do that; and there had been no indication that they were going to receive a trade offer they loved.

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