Heat Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler ‘Prefers’ To Be Traded By Miami

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler reportedly “prefers a trade out of Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday. Although Butler has not formally requested a trade, the six-time All-Star is believed to be ready for his own departure.

Heat Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler Is Earning $48.79 Million This Season, Has A $52.41 Million Player Option For 2025-26

Sources unveiled earlier this month that Miami is willing to listen to trade offers for Butler, and that Butler is interested in playing for a win-now contender in any deal.

Butler, 35, has $48.79 million on his contract with the Heat for this season and a $52.41 million player option for 2025-26 after the two sides failed to reach an extension last summer.

Teams inquiring about Butler have been informed that the 14-year veteran intends to decline his 2025-26 player option and become a free agent in July, sources informed Charania.

Reporting for NBA Countdown on the line drawn in the sand: Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami, with two teams at the top of his desired destinations – and how we got here: pic.twitter.com/FLstMhPo3P

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 25, 2024

Charania reported on Dec. 10 that the Heat are “open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right.” Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, was also indicating which teams his client wanted to play for.

Butler is open to trade destinations such as the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns. Several teams have contacted the Heat to express interest in Butler in the past two weeks, but Miami has not shown urgency to get a deal done.

Earlier this month, Heat owner Micky Arison reposted Lee’s statement on X saying the latest reports on Butler from Charania are false. Miami had also denied the trade rumors pertaining to Butler.

However, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson echoed Charania’s report, stating that while Butler hasn’t requested a trade, he “would play out year here if Heat doesn’t trade him.”

Miami Could Ride Out The Season With Butler

If the Heat decide to play out the season, this means they would wait until Butler either picks up his 2025-26 option or decides to opt out. Miami would be willing to take this “soap opera into July unless it gets an appealing offer before Feb. 6,” per Jackson.

Butler’s teams have made the playoffs in 12 of his first 13 seasons, including the five previous seasons in Miami, where he has led the Heat to two NBA Finals berths and one additional Eastern Conference finals appearance.

Through 20 games (all starts) this season, Butler is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 31.4 minutes per contest while shooting a career-best 55.2% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range, and 78.2% at the free throw line.

According to Basketball-Reference, Butler currently ranks ninth in player efficiency rating (24.6), seventh in offensive win shares (2.7), 10th in box plus/minus (6.1), eighth in offensive box plus/minus (5.2), and fourth in offensive rating (137.1).