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[Jolly Sports News] The Miami Heat are still deliberating whether to trade Jimmy Butler before the Feb. 6 deadline, but one scenario has reportedly been ruled out entirely.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports that the Heat have no interest in allowing Butler to remain away from the team once his suspension ends. If Butler remains on the roster, he will be expected to rejoin the team and play rather than being paid the remainder of his $48.8 million salary this season to sit at home.
Butler, a six-time All-Star, is currently serving a seven-game suspension for detrimental conduct, including both public and private comments expressing a desire to be traded and a recent stretch of games where Heat officials believed he was not giving full effort.
While trading Butler might prove challenging, given his age (35), a $52.4 million player option for next season, and a history of contentious exits from teams, Miami has other options. The Heat could keep Butler through the season, banking on a potential sign-and-trade to facilitate his move to a preferred destination in the summer.
Alternatively, they could let him walk in free agency, opening cap space to attract new talent—a strategy viable for a team that remains a free-agent hotspot.
What’s clear, however, is that Miami won’t entertain paying Butler to sit out for the remainder of the season. If he stays, he’ll be expected to suit up.
