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Shams Charania, Senior NBA Insider
Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler prefers to be traded from Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, league sources told ESPN.
ESPN reported on Inside Pass on December 10 that the Heat are willing to listen to trade offers for Butler and that Butler wants a win-now contender in any deal. Sources say Butler is reportedly ready to leave, although he has not formally requested a trade.
Butler is under contract with the Heat for $49 million this season and has a $52 million player option for 2025-26 after the teams failed to reach an extension last summer. With the Heat leaning toward a rising core of All-Star centers Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro (in the midst of career seasons) and Butler’s player option for next season available, both sides appear ready to move on from the Butler-led era. The parties can use their own leverage to their advantage.
Sources say Butler has told teams he plans to decline his 2025-26 player option and become a free agent in July.
Butler is open to trade destinations such as the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, league sources said. Several teams have called the Heat over the past two weeks to express interest in Butler, but Miami has shown no urgency in talks as the franchise monitors the first half of the season, the source said.
The Heat, ranked sixth in the East, could simply move forward with the season and see if Butler opts in or out. But to reach a new home via trade, Butler will need help from the Heat. This is a balancing test of how the franchise has done the right things with its cornerstone efforts over the past five years.
The Heat signed Adebayo to a three-year, up to $166 million contract extension last offseason, but decided not to pursue a similar deal with Butler.
Butler, 35, is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. He is one of the NBA’s elite competitors and continues to perform well in the postseason. His teams made the playoffs in 12 of his first 13 seasons, including the previous five seasons in Miami, where he led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances and an additional Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
After Miami advanced to the NBA Finals by beating Boston in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics made two big moves, acquiring Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, who were instrumental in their run to the 2024 championship. The Heat’s efforts to add star power around Butler and Adebayo have failed in recent years, with Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving losing to other teams.
