Report: Warriors trade target Butler wants Heat to move before deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Heat star Jimmy Butler wants to leave Miami, and apparently he doesn’t want to wait.
The six-time NBA All-Star favors a trade before the Feb. 6 deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday morning, citing league sources.
The Warriors are a team Butler is open to moving to, Charania added, joining the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. Miami is willing to listen to trade offers, and while Butler has yet to formally request a trade, he is ready for a fresh start and prefers a win-now candidate in any deal, Charania reported, citing sources.
“Multiple” teams have called the Heat over the past two weeks to express interest in Butler, Charania reported, citing sources, but they “have not shown any urgency in the conversations” as the team continues to monitor and evaluate the first half of the season. in which it ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 14-13 record.
Of the teams showing interest, Golden State is the only one maintaining an interest that could ultimately lead to “substantial trade talks,” NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported earlier this month. Houston and Dallas had shown no tangible interest in pursuing Butler, and Phoenix would realistically have to include Bradley Beal in any deal with Miami, which seems unlikely after the Heat added the NBA All-Star during the 2023 offseason.
Teams have been told that Butler plans to decline his player option for the 2025-26 season, Charnia reported, citing sources, and will become a free agent in July.
Through 20 games this season, Butler is averaging 18.5 points on 55.2 percent shooting with 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 31.4 minutes.
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