Will Pat Riley and the Heat bend to Jimmy Butler’s demands?

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There’s been a lot of chirping in NBA circles about the future of Miami Heat veteran Jimmy Butler. On Tuesday morning, Chris Haynes reported on X that the Memphis Grizzlies and a few other teams received word that Butler has no interest in being there. One of those other teams? Sources tell me that the Milwaukee Bucks were also told to back off.

So, Butler wants out of Miami. But he doesn’t want to play for the team with the second-most wins in the stacked West. Or for the team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. What is it that he wants? This is obvious. Money. Here’s what I wrote in December when this drama started brewing:

Jimmy Butler wants to get paid. And when stars like Jimmy start to feel underappreciated, that’s when they develop a wandering eye. Right now, people around the league say the Miami Heat aren’t ready to pony up the kind of extension Butler’s camp desires. Butler is 35 years old, makes $48.8 million and has an option worth $52.4 million for next season that he reportedly will decline in favor of seeking a long-term contract. Something the Heat likely won’t give.

You can eliminate the word “likely” from that last sentence: The Heat won’t pay Butler. We know at this point he doesn’t want them, and they don’t want him. The only question now is whether Pat Riley gives Butler what he wants: A trade to his preferred destination, a team with aspirations to win and a willingness to give him that long-term contract.

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The Phoenix Suns are quite clearly that team. The Suns have widely been reported to be at the top of his list. The only question is really whether Phoenix can find a new home for Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause which gives him the power to decline any trade. I said on my podcast this week that the Heat and Suns are working to find three- and four-team trades to find a solution. But so far they’ve come up empty.

Beal’s on the books for $50.2 million this season, $53.7 million the next, and $57.1 the year after that. It’s enormously difficult to trade for any player making that much money…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/will-pat-riley-and-the-heat-bend-to-jimmy-butlers-demands-193807192.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-07 19:38:00

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