For more than a month, the world has been aware of Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler’s wish to be transferred elsewhere. ESPN’s Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst revealed on January 2 that Butler had told the Heat he wanted to be traded.
However, Miami is running out of time to reach an agreement before the trade deadline on February 6th, and Butler is still a member of the Heat. Heat owner Micky Arison doesn’t want Butler to get paid while he is away from the team, so if Thursday’s deadline passes without Butler switching teams, Ira Winderman says there will be talks about how to get the 35-year-old back into the lineup.
Winderman stated, “The question of whether Butler could be worked back into the mix for the remainder of the season will be reopened if there is no trade by Thursday’s deadline.” According to reports, Heat owner Micky Arison opposes the idea of letting Butler stay away from the team and yet get paid.
The last time Butler and his Heat colleagues took the court was on January 21, when Miami hosted the Portland Trail Blazers. Butler finished with just 13 points on nine field goal tries as the Heat lost that game.
Since Butler’s last game, Miami has played a lot of basketball. Miami has managed to stay competitive despite Butler missing all five of the team’s recent games. With wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, and San Antonio Spurs, the Heat have a 3-2 record during that time.
The Heat’s recent success without Butler in the starting lineup may be due to the fact that the club has become used to playing without him. Butler has only appeared in three Miami games since he said he no longer enjoyed basketball after the team’s defeat to the Indiana Pacers on January 2 due to multiple bans.
It will be interesting to see if Butler will still be a member of the Heat in a few days, given the drama that has unfolded between the forward and the team over the past month or so. If the answer is yes, the Heat may have their hands full trying to get Butler back on track. Butler is currently suspended indefinitely by Miami.