The Miami Heat might have to part ways with Jimmy Butler whether they like it or not, the six-time NBA All-Star’s former teammate, Jeff Teague, has said.
Reports about Butler‘s potential exit have been swirling for weeks, prompting team president Pat Riley to vehemently deny Miami’s interest in shopping the 6-foot-7 forward. “We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches,” Riley said in a statement.
“Therefore, we will make it clear — we are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
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However, Teague – who, while with the Minnesota Timberwolves, saw a disgruntled Butler being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018-19 season – thinks that the Heat might not have a choice but to let the Marquette product leave if he’s set on starting a new chapter in his career. “I think Jimmy [is] kinda probably checked out, probably,” Teague recently said on the Club 520 podcast.
“I mean, playing with him, being his teammate in Minnesota, when he said he want out, he out. It’s over with. So they probably need to trade him.”
Butler has not suited up for the Heat since December 20 with the forward working on his conditioning after a battle with a stomach bug. During that time, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that while the player had not formally requested a trade, he hoped to change teams ahead of the February 6 deadline.
Miami Heat president Pat Riley recently said the team does not intend to trade Butler
Butler and Miami failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension last summer. The Texas native, who’s owed $49 million in 2024-25, has a $52 million player option for next season, allowing him to hit free agency after the current NBA campaign ends.
Butler fueled trade rumors when asked about his reported desire to leave the 16-14 Heat after returning to practice on Tuesday. “Does it matter? Does it matter?” he responded. “I honestly do not care about getting traded, where I’m supposed to go, who’s saying what…. All of that is out of my control anyway.”
Butler averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in his first 20 games for the Heat during the 2024-25 season. He shot 55.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3.
The forward has reached two NBA Finals with Miami since joining the team in 2019. His Heat lost the title to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 before falling in the championship series again in a matchup against the Denver Nuggets three years later.
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