Heat No Closer To Jimmy Butler Trade Than When They Started Seeking Deals

As Jimmy Butler serves out his seven-game suspension, it seems the Miami Heat are no closer to finding a trade that works for both sides, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy. Jimmy Butler, Heat, NBA

Multiple league sources and executives have expressed skepticism that Miami will land an acceptable deal before the February 6 trade deadline, with a number of factors working against a potential deal.

“First of all, Jimmy’s 35 and doesn’t have much value,” one head of basketball operations told Bulpett. “And then the team that would like him the most is probably Phoenix, because they’re so bad and they have the worst contract in (Bradley Beal).

“Other than that, I don’t know of any teams that would want to take on Jimmy Butler, other than teams that just want to dump contracts — and Miami won’t go for that.”

The underlying issue is Butler’s age and his desire for a significant contract extension this summer. Butler, in his sixth year with the Heat, has appeared in just 22 of the team’s 36 games this season, continuing a pattern of frequent absences.

Coming into the season, he had vowed to be more available after being challenged by team president Pat Riley following Miami’s playoff exit last spring. However, with Butler’s injury history and his desire to get paid, the Heat have been reluctant to extend him.

“Jimmy’s been good for Miami overall, but he’s also been very difficult,” a league source told Bulpett. “He’s in charge; he doesn’t play all the time, and he’s had injuries that always seem to come up.

“He’s not as good as it was. He got a lot of mileage out of being a leader, a go-to guy, a big game player, but he wasn’t there night in and night out.”

Butler has posted 17.6 points per game this season, his lowest mark in over a decade, although his shooting efficiency remains solid at .552/.375/.788. Still, at 35, many around the league question whether Butler can continue to play at a level that justifies a new expensive contract.

While Butler has stated he intends to turn down his $52.4 million player option for next season and test free agency, that decision could be complicated by his current situation in Miami.

Rival executives have also expressed doubts about Heat president Pat Riley’s commitment to Butler. Bulpett reports that when Riley announced in late December that Butler was effectively off the market, it was likely a response to what he viewed as inadequate trade offers.

“I really believe [the Heat] had discussions [with other teams] about Jimmy before Pat said, ‘We’re not trading Jimmy Butler,’” said one executive. “At the very least, they went through every single team and what was realistic — like, there’s only a handful of teams that are trying to win right now and that Jimmy would want to go to. And Miami looked at everything and basically said they weren’t doing any of that crap.”

Though Butler has been working out at Kaseya Center while the Heat are on a road trip, Coach Erik Spoelstra declined to offer any details.

“Of course I’ve talked to him. I’m very close to coach,” Spoelstra told reporters. “That’s between me and coach O, with all due respect.”

While trade discussions continue, the Heat have yet to receive an offer they deem acceptable, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami remains willing to bring Butler back for their January 17 home game if he’s not traded by then.

Jackson also notes that the Heat aren’t opposed to keeping Butler for the remainder of the season and addressing the situation in the summer.

In the meantime, Butler’s future with the Heat remains up in the air, and as the trade deadline nears, it’s unclear what direction the team will take.