Report: Heat Now Expected To Trade Jimmy Butler

According to NBA insider Howard Beck of The Ringer, the Miami Heat are now expected to trade Jimmy Butler. 

Butler is extension-eligible this offseason, and according to NBA reporter Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Butler is expected to seek a two-year extension worth around $113 million.

It appears the Heat don’t want to pay Butler. 

“Jimmy Butler will be traded,” Beck wrote. “Rival executives have been buzzing about it for months, for all the obvious reasons. Butler is about to turn 35 (with a lot of hard miles and a lot of injuries), with one year left on his Heat contract, and is reportedly seeking a two-year, $113 million extension. If the Heat grant it, they’ll have little to no flexibility to add another star. And they absolutely need one.

“Credit Butler for powering Miami to two Finals in five seasons. But a team built around Butler and Bam Adebayo isn’t enough to challenge the Celtics, Bucks, or Sixers in the East. Pat Riley is known for moving off his high-priced players before they fall off a cliff. And Butler at this stage would be much more valuable as a second or third option on a contender than as the top dog in Miami. This feels like the right time for a pivot.”

Butler will make $48.8 million next season. He has a player option worth $52.4 million for the 2025-26 season. 

The Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of this year’s postseason in five games. Butler didn’t play because of a knee injury. 

A six-time All-Star, Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.3 blocks in 60 games this season while shooting 49.9% from the field, 41.4% from beyond the arc and 85.8% from the free-throw line.

Butler has career averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia Sixers and Heat. He’s made five All-NBA teams and five All-Defensive teams.

The Sixers are interested in acquiring Butler, who played 55 games for them in 2018-19. According to NBA reporter Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia is prepared to give Butler a max extension.