The Phoenix Suns had been linked as a possible trade destination for Miami star Jimmy Butler for weeks before the story appeared to be put to bed after Heat president Pat Riley came out with an emphatic statement, saying he would not be trading the guard.
Butler appears to have other plans.
In a post game press conference, Butler took an opportunity to point out how unhappy he was with his role on the team, his usage and that he had simply lost his joy for playing with the Heat. He then doubled down and said he doesn’t believe he can ever get it back with the franchise and made it clear he want out.
The question now is, can Butler force his way into a trade. It’s happened in the past for other disgruntled stars, including Anthony Davis out of New Orleans, Carmelo Anthony out of Denver and James Harden out of several stops. Ultimately it comes down to how much of a headache is the player willing to be, and how much is the team willing to put up with. Usually the prospect of watching a top-tier player walk in free agency for nothing is enough to make a team willing to trade him so that they can at least get some assets in return, but only one team is ran by Pat Riley. Miami’s president is widely known for managing his team with an iron fist and as a guy that doesn’t back down to any player.
This season NBA trade deadline is on February 6th.
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Spenser Tilus is a sports reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @Spenser_Tilus
