Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler, who’s set to return Wednesday after a five-game absence, spoke to reporters for the first time since ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the six-time All-Star preferred to be traded away ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
As expected, he was asked about his future with the Heat–and Butler was understandably coy with reporters.
“I like it, cause no matter what I do, somebody is always saying something, so like I’ve been doing, I’ll keep my mount shut and play basketball,” Butler said Tuesday. “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. So I’m here, I’m hooping.
“That’s up to [Heat president Pat Riley]. He will do what’s best for the organization as they should. And as long as I’m happy. And right now, I’m happy. I’m in a good space. I’ve got my kids here. I’m healthy. I’m smiling. I promise you I’m happy.
“Right now, I’m here and I’m going to make the most of it. 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, though.
“I can’t tell what’s gonna happen come tomorrow, but I appreciate the statement. But this is a business. … I won’t have any hard feelings either way.”
Butler, 35, is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals across 31.4 minutes per game. He’s shooting a career-best 55.2 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from 3-point range, albeit on just 1.4 3-point attempts per game.
Butler missed the last five games due to an illness, having appeared in 20 of the Heat’s first 30 games. At the time of this publishing, he’s on track to play 55 games, five fewer than last year and nine fewer than in 2022-23, his best season with the Heat.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Miami Heat were reportedly listening to trade offers. Not long after it was reported that the team hadn’t received any offers for the star wing, Riley released a statement saying that the Heat would not be trading Butler, who owns a $52.4 million player option after this season.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a zero percent chance he gets traded, however. If a god-like offer comes across Riley’s desk, they don’t have to do anything ahead of the deadline. And it’s not expected they will, either.
Miami is in complete control of the situation. The ball is in Butler’s court to play–and play well–to potentially earn a max extension next summer. The only team with a good amount of cap space is Brooklyn–who freed up $15 million by trading Dorian Finney-Smith.
That doesn’t mean another team won’t happen up max cap space–or, like the Heat did five years ago, sign Jimmy Butler to a four-year max without any cap space with a four-team sign-and-trade. Those options are still on the table, but we will get a better landscape of the market in the weeks leading up to free agency, should Butler be with the Heat past Feb. 6.
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I think Jimmy’s strategy for requesting a max extension has less to do with money and more to do with wanting to win a championship before he retires. If Miami isn’t willing to make trades to bring in players to have a shot at winning it all, Jimmy wants to go to a team where he will have a chance to do so (e.g., Dallas, Houston, Golden State, Phoenix).
“If we’re being brutally honest, nothing I do now is going to get me paid anymore money. Even though I don’t care about the money. All-NBA, dah, dah, dah, dah, none of that is going to matter. I’m at a point right now that I got more than enough money. I’m just here to win.”
~Jimmy Butler~
October, 15, 2024
Riley needs to make one or more trades to improve the roster. I saw the following trade ideas on FANSIDED. There are also several others floating around.
1. Kelly Olynyk returns
Miami gets: Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher
Toronto gets: Terry Rozier, 2026 second-round pick (via LAL), 2031 second-round pick
2. Heat make dramatic upgrade at center
Miami gets: Nikola Vucevic, Talen Horton-Tucker
Chicago gets: Duncan Robinson, Josh Richardson, 2031 second-round pick
3. Heat get the other Nets player
Miami gets: Cameron Johnson
Brooklyn gets: Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
4. Heat and Lakers swap role players
Miami gets: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Markieff Morris
Lakers get: Terry Rozier, Josh Richardson
Dallas gets: Kevin Love
Here’s a few other names I’ve see mentioned in possible Heat trades, not involving Jimmy Butler: John Collins, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. I’m sure there are others.
Nothing really changed.
The team interest is, to Butler plays as much as possible and as good as possible.
Butlers interest to Butler is to play as much as possible and as good as possible.
The grass is still greener in Miami for Butler then somewhere else, and this horse is still better then any other available for the team.
Short term, yes, long term, probably not.
Happy new year to all.
Sorry on a holiday…
HAPPY NEW YEAR…
HOTHOTHOOOPS!!!
u 2 what a great heat fan u are .staying up all hours to watch our beloved team never a bad word to say about any player or coach the exact opposite of me
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Move along folks. There’s nothing to see here. Riley said Butler is staying so he’s staying…until he isn’t.
nick saban said he wasnt going to bama next day hes coach of bama.i think the heat are def trying to trade him but nobody wants a part time player which is what he is.father time is undefeated
It always seems like our players are deemed untradable because of their contracts. We used to say the same thing about Herro and Duncan. I think Jimmy has trade value, but perhaps not as much as we want. There are a few teams who are going nowhere even though they started the season with high hopes. One of those teams could use Jimmy as a rental which is his only real trade value. . But, there is a lot of negotiating to do yet. My guess is Pat drives a really hard bargain and will never admit he is trading a player till he does.