The Jimmy Butler saga appears untenable for the Miami Heat.
Following Thursday night’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, where Butler scored just nine points in 27 minutes, the six-time All-Star forward admitted he has lost his joy playing basketball for the Heat.
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon,” Butler said. “I’m happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop and I want to help this team win, and right now I’m not doing it.”
When asked if he could find that joy in Miami, Butler responded simply, “Probably not.”
"Probably not."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 3, 2025
—Jimmy Butler when asked if he could get his joy back in Miami. pic.twitter.com/5gahEJxWM7
Following these comments, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst reported that Butler has indicated to the Heat he wants to be traded.
“Butler does not plan to furnish the Heat with a list of favored destinations, sources told ESPN. He is open to playing anywhere other than Miami and believes he can make any team a contender — no matter where he is moved. He does plan to take part in all team activities and do whatever the Heat ask of him during this process, sources said,” Charania and Windhorst reported.
This controversy might have been avoided if the Heat had engaged in trade talks with one of Butler’s former teams during the offseason.
Jimmy Butler’s former team reportedly reached out to Miami Heat about trade
According to Yahoo Sports NBA insider Vincent Goodwill, the Philadelphia 76ers attempted to engage the Heat in trade talks for Butler during the offseason but were rebuffed.
“Over the summer, Philadelphia tried to engage Miami on a Butler deal before agreeing to terms with [Paul] George — Joel Embiid wanted a reunion with Butler and pushed for it, according to sources who spoke to Yahoo Sports over the summer and recently,” Goodwill reported.
Butler played 55 games for the 76ers during the 2018-19 season after Philadelphia acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves. He quickly developed chemistry with Embiid, averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, and four assists while helping lead the 76ers to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Their playoff run ended in heartbreak when Kawhi Leonard hit an off-balance three at the buzzer in Game 7 to give the Toronto Raptors the win.
Despite fans’ desire to keep the team intact, Philadelphia traded Butler to the Heat for Josh Richardson as part of a four-team deal.
Had the 76ers acquired Butler this offseason, George would likely not be on the team, as Butler’s salary would have occupied the available max slot.
The Heat’s plans for Butler remain uncertain.