Jimmy Butler has reportedly told the Miami Heat he wants to be traded, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst. The veteran forward has been the subject of significant trade rumors in recent weeks.
Butler, 35, has played in 21 games this season. He’s averaging 18 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 55.3% from the field and 36.7% from three-point range. Should the Heat choose not to trade Butler, he could leave the franchise for nothing in the summer. He has a $52.4 million player option for next season, which he could choose to decline to enter unrestricted free agency.
“Six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has indicated to the Miami Heat he wants the team to trade him, league sources told ESPN,” Charania and Windhorst reported. “Butler does not plan to furnish the Heat with a list of favored destinations, sources told ESPN. He is open to playing anywhere other than Miami and believes he can make any team a contender — no matter where he is moved. He does plan to take part in all team activities and do whatever the Heat ask of him during this process, sources said.”
Miami is under no obligation to trade Butler. They could view the cap relief they would receive in the summer as more valuable than anything a team could offer in a trade. However, if Pat Riley wants the Heat to remain competitive this season, he could begin entertaining offers for his star forward.
The Heat would likely be looking for trade packages built around young, high-upside players and draft picks.
Heat’s Jimmy Butler Wants His ‘Joy Back’
During a Jan. 2 news conference following the Heat’s 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Butler noted how he wants to get his ‘joy back’ when on the court. He also told the media he doesn’t see that happening while he remains on South Beach.
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon,” Butler said. “I’m happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop and I want to help this team win, and right now I’m not doing it.”
Butler is dealing with the lowest usage rate of his tenure in Miami. Until this season, he ranked in the 90th percentile for usage rate while with the Heat. This season, he sits in the 79th percentile, with a 22.4% usage rate over 651 regular-season minutes played. For reference, last season, Butler had a 25.1% usage rate, and it was 26.9% in 2022-23.
“You won’t say I’m not out there playing hard,” Butler said. “It may look like that because my usage is down and I don’t shoot the ball a lot, but [you can’t say] I’m not playing hard.”
Jimmy Butler Makes Sense For Denver Nuggets
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, multiple NBA scouts and executives see the Denver Nuggets as a potential landing spot for Butler.
“NBA scouts and executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Denver should try and dangle Porter Jr. to make a run at Miami’s Jimmy Butler, despite Heat executive Pat Riley publicly denying that Butler will be traded before the deadline,” Scotto reported. “Teams such as the Warriors, who’ve kept tabs on Butler since the summer, will continue to do so before the trade deadline.”
Now that Butler has requested a trade, the Nuggets will likely be one of multiple teams to register interest. Butler is a proven commodity in the postseason, and multiple contending teams will likely view him as a missing piece in their rotation. However, Butler’s current contract situation could make things slightly more difficult.
A 36-year-old earning north of $50 million is a hard sell. Furthermore, teams would likely want reassurances that he would re-sign with them. After all, the Heat are unlikely to accept a low-ball offer. Still, Butler’s ability to raise his game in the playoffs will be attractive to peripheral contenders. If Miami’s negotiating tactics are reasonable, we could see Butler swap teams before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
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