Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, league sources told ESPN.
ESPN reported in the Inside Pass on Dec. 10 that the Heat are willing to listen to trade offers for Butler, and that Butler wants a win-now contender in any deal. Butler has not formally requested a trade with the Heat, sources said, but is believed to be ready for his exit.
Butler has $49 million on his contract with the Heat for this season and a $52 million player option for 2025-26 after the two sides failed to reach an extension last summer. Both sides appear ready to move on from this Butler-led era — as the Heat lean into a rising core of All-Star center Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, who is in the midst of a career season — and Butler’s player option for next season has given the parties their own vantage point of leverage.