While the Miami Heat continues to listen to trade offers for six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, there was a reminder Tuesday that Butler does have some leverage on which team he’s potentially dealt to. Butler has made it clear that he does not have any interest in being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald on Tuesday. Chris Haynes was the first to report the news.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article298117768.html#storylink=cThe Grizzlies, who hold a 24-13 record and sit in third place in the Western Conference, just recently shot up the list to be among the betting favorites to land Butler in a trade. But Tuesday’s news will likely change that. Whether there are other teams that have been informed they shouldn’t trade for Butler because he doesn’t want to play there remains unknown.
With Butler able to become a free agent this upcoming summer because of a $52.4 million player option in his contract for next season, teams exploring a trade for him likely want to know that he would commit to them past the remainder of this season. The Heat has had discussions with several teams in recent days regarding a potential Butler trade, according to a league source. But as of Tuesday afternoon, the Heat has not been presented with a trade offer for Butler that is being strongly considered.
In any Butler trade, the Heat wants to acquire a quality player (or players) who can help the team this season. That will be the top priority for Miami. But the Heat also doesn’t want to take back long-term salary that’s going to clog its salary cap for the 2026 offseason, unless it’s for top-end All-Star talent. Draft capital is also important for the Heat, as it currently only has one unprotected first-round pick that it can deal away. Butler will serve the third game of his team-issued seven-game suspension when the Heat takes on the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Tuesday night. The extension runs through the end of the Heat’s current six-game West Coast trip and he’ll be eligible to come back when the Heat returns to Miami to host the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 17.
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