Jimmy Butler is ready for a change of scenery.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Miami Heat star “prefers” a trade out of town by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. However, he reportedly hasn’t formally asked the Heat for a trade.
Butler, 35, is in his 14th year in the NBA. He’s been with the Heat since 2019. Miami is reportedly open to listening to offers for Butler, who wants a trade to a “win-now contender” above all. The teams Butler is open to reportedly include the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.
Butler and the Heat weren’t able to come to terms on a contract extension this summer, meaning he has only a $52 million player option left on his Heat contract. According to Charania, Butler does not plan to exercise that option, which means he’d become a free agent in July. He’s currently averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season.
The Heat have been to the playoffs in five of Butler’s six full seasons in Miami. He hoped the Heat could be his chance to win the NBA Finals and get his long-awaited championship ring, and they got close several times. The Heat made it to the finals in 2020, Butler’s first season in Miami, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 in the COVID-19 bubble Finals. Three years later, the Heat were back in the Finals, but lost 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets.
The 2023-24 season was the first time the Heat weren’t in the playoffs since Butler joined the team. They’re currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 14-13 record, above the play-in line, but there are still quite a few games left to play.
While several teams have reportedly called to inquire about Butler’s availability, the Heat don’t have to trade him. It’s their only shot to get a return on Butler, who can leave at the end of the season, but with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro set up as Miami’s future, the Heat could absolutely keep Butler around and see if they can make one last run at the Finals before the Butler era comes to an end.