Jimmy Butler has played two games since rejoining the Miami Heat and appears to be doing what he can to defuse the rampant speculation he has helped create with his trade request, but the Heat are still determined to find a new team for Butler sooner rather than later.
League sources told NBA insider Marc Stein that “Miami is determined to keep exploring trade possibilities between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline” and “would prefer an immediate separation.”
The Phoenix Suns continue to be mentioned as a serious suitor, according to Stein, but salary cap restrictions could blunt their ability to swing a deal. While the Memphis Grizzlies have been informed not to trade for Butler, the Milwaukee Bucks have not been given the same impression, per Stein, who echoes an earlier report for The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
The Bucks, however, could look elsewhere for help before the trade deadline. Here’s more from Stein:
Whether that means Milwaukee eventually emerges as a Butler suitor remains to be seen. The Bucks, to this point, have been more frequently painted as a team likely to rekindle their previous interest in Phoenix's Bradley Beal if they intend to pursue a trade for a player in the $50 million range.
It appears more and more likely that any deal that ships Butler out of Miami will involve more than two teams.
The Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves are teams that have been mentioned that could help facilitate a deal that sends Butler to another team.
Where does this leave the Heat?
There’s no shortage of teams willing to help facilitate a deal that sends Butler to a new team (as long as they get something out of it), but there aren’t that many serious suitors willing to actually trade for Butler. The Suns and Bucks are the teams most widely mentioned as landing spots, but both are operating over the second apron. It would require jumping through a lot of hoops for either team to get Butler. With little more than two weeks remaining for the trade deadline, the clock is ticking.