Jimmy Butler reiterated to Miami Heat president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting last week that he wants to be traded and will not sign a new contract with the team this summer, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Butler also made it clear that he does not intend to play for the Heat beyond this season, and will opt into his $52.4 million salary for next season only to facilitate a trade.
The reporting was later confirmed by multiple local outlets.
Butler’s seven-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team ends this week and he will be eligible to play in Friday night’s home game against the Denver Nuggets. After failing to find a trade that meets their standards, the Heat are faced with the challenge of how to move forward with Butler.
As of now, the Heat do not play on suspending Butler again or having him sit games. Butler has been working out at the team facility during the team’s six-game trip and both sides have expressed a willingness for Butler to return to the team on the court.
According to Charania, Heat officials will meet later this week to discuss next steps.
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The Heat have engaged with multiple teams on Butler trade scenarios and have received offers but have “been hesitant to negotiate further.” The Heat have “not shown an urgency in these talks,” per Charania.
Butler prefers a trade to the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks or Houston Rockets. Teams like the Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly been informed not to trade for him.
So what does this mean?
This, as most things have been, is a leverage play for both sides. Butler reiterated his desire to be traded and that he does not plan to remain in Miami longterm. Butler previously made it known that he plans to opt out of his contract, putting the Heat at risk of losing him for nothing. However, that isn’t the dire scenario it once was, and Butler leaving as a free agent would create the flexibility Miami desires.
Now, he’s reportedly told the front office that he could opt into the final year of his contract, giving the Heat more reason to act before the start of the 2025-26 season.
The Heat, meanwhile, don’t want to be bullied into a trade and are expressing patience prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. They have been reluctant to take on salary beyond this summer, as they aim to revamp the roster around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro with cap space. But that deal has yet to materialize.