Jimmy Butler Has Blocked Multiple Viable Trade Options In Quest To Join Suns

[RealGM Wiretap]

Jimmy Butler has blocked trade options to multiple contending teams where he would have been a good fit on the floor and potentially been paid. But Butler has been obsessed with joining the Phoenix Suns, who may be completely incapable of trading for him due to the need to find a trade of Bradley Beal.

The Golden State Warriors are one team who has been informed he doesn't intend to commit to long-term, while the Memphis Grizzlies are another. The Warriors remain a possibility for Butler if the Heat run out of time before the trade deadline.

In the process, Butler has completely torched his relationship with the Miami Heat and been suspended multiple times. The Heat remain motivated to trade Butler, but they are not prepared to make a deal that compromises their cap space for 2026. Butler has a $52 million player option for 25-26 that he could pick up and put himself and the Heat back in the same position they are in now leading to the deadline.

Via Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps/ESPN

[dubbmotta]

Bro turning into Antonio Brown of the NBA.

[Wildcat]

Blocking and saying he won't sign an extension are 2 different things. He can't block a trade. The **** storm from an invisible-no-trade-clause is greater than him.

[njknicks]

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

[HaydukesRedux]

I doubt it, unless Riley retires on his own. But he and Spoeltra have overachieved in the last five years. Two Finals appearances. Also, what did they do wrong? They got a lot out of an elite two-way player and knew better than to give him an extension as he descends from his prime.

He was nuts and helped them get lot of wins before his brain went sideways.

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

[TheCage4]

Jimmy has burnt bridges everywhere else he's been, so there is no reason to think this time will be different. Any sensible franchise has to know this, and yet, there have been "multiple viable trade options?" Something doesn't seem to jive here.

[dubbmotta]

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

Doubt it, he's done this at EVERY Stop.

[puja21]

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

Doubt it, he's done this at EVERY Stop.

Ya silly take

Arison/Riley/Spo not changing

Maybe they change who they align with -- are more careful chasing malcontent big fish like Butler

But the Miami FO isn't changing from one mouthy 35 yo washed up former star

[Pickled Prunes]

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

Doubt it, he's done this at EVERY Stop.

Ya silly take

Arison/Riley/Spo not changing

Maybe they change who they align with -- are more careful chasing malcontent big fish like Butler

But the Miami FO isn't changing from one mouthy 35 yo washed up former star

This will be interesting. Jimmy only wants PHX. PHX only wants to trade Beal. No one wants Beal. A few teams will take Beal for a price. Beal won't waive his NT for any of those teams.

Could KD go to GSW in a multi-team deal that sends Butler to PHX? If KD is out, does PHX still want Butler? Why does Butler think PHX will pay him when they have two, more important max players already on the roster? ...so many questions!

[Dave_R]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy like Pat the Rat who FAXED his resignation into the Knicks. This was after preaching focus and practice (when my Knicks were losing playoff games because they couldn't hit free throws -- what is based on shear practice more than free throws?).
Yes, Riley has won. In LA, he won with ARGUABLY the best center ever (Kareem), ARGUABLY the best point guard ever (Magic) and a HOF in Worthy. In Miami, he had LeBron, Bosh, and D-whistle.

[tigerae]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy like Pat the Rat who FAXED his resignation into the Knicks. This was after preaching focus and practice (when my Knicks were losing playoff games because they couldn't hit free throws -- what is based on shear practice more than free throws?).
Yes, Riley has won. In LA, he won with ARGUABLY the best center ever (Kareem), ARGUABLY the best point guard ever (Magic) and a HOF in Worthy. In Miami, he had LeBron, Bosh, and D-whistle.

He also won with Shaq and Wade. I agree he is an @ss, like what also happened with Shaq getting traded from the Heat but he also wins, a lot.

The other issue you fail to acknowledge the other factor of this issue. That's Butler himself. If this was a one off I could put the blame entirely on Riley, but he has done this with every single team he was in. Every single one.

Honestly, I believe Butler in the end could lose his ability to play basketball or be forced to play out his contract with the Heat and at a high level to keep it. Mainly because he isn't acting in good faith and they can prove it if he keeps impeding the process to trade him. The Heat have been by the book in terms of immediately suspending him when he caused an issue. It will make it extremely hard for the NBPA to defend his actions.

He also stated he was willing to play anywhere else but then started denying teams one by one, starting with Memphis, who I think is a much better fit for him than the Suns.

With Beal having a no-trade clause and refusing to go to Miami, the only way I see this work is if they get a 3rd team involved that he wants to play for otherwise I smell big trouble for Butler going forward because of his past and the way he handled the situation.

[Luv those Knicks]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy like Pat the Rat who FAXED his resignation into the Knicks. This was after preaching focus and practice (when my Knicks were losing playoff games because they couldn't hit free throws -- what is based on shear practice more than free throws?).
Yes, Riley has won. In LA, he won with ARGUABLY the best center ever (Kareem), ARGUABLY the best point guard ever (Magic) and a HOF in Worthy. In Miami, he had LeBron, Bosh, and D-whistle.

Knick fan here. Riley was a fun coach. He stressed defense and hard work and he made the Knicks better, for a while. I think he messed up the Finals not benching Starks and he said as much himself. But overall, one of the better coaches I've seen. He had way more success than Don Nelson who thought he was the smartest guy in the room and had Ewing practicing shooting 3s. Why, Don, Why?

As a GM, Riley got lucky that Wade brought Bosh & LeBron to Miami and I think the Miami Beaches and no state tax are selling points, so he's done well for the heat, but I'm not sure where I stand on him as a GM overall. He seems OK. I don't like the heat at all, but I have fond memories of Riley's time with NYK.

I'll say this about him leaving the Knicks. I don't blame him. He wanted to trade Ewing. Knicks management told him No F'n way and he got an offer to run the show in Miami and he chose that over being 2nd in command in NY and I get that. He probably got a raise too. I don't blame Riley for leaving the Knicks and NY got rewarded a first round pick out of it. That's water under the bridge to me.

The Butler scenario is a tough one. A player demanding a trade and he can't block trades, but he can discourage them. That puts Miami in a tough spot. Miami responds by telling him they're benching him, he walks out of practice, so they suspend him indefinitly. Kind of a mess. I think Miami would do better trying to smooth things over, but Butlers put them in a tough spot.

[DoItALL9]

Jimmy has burnt bridges everywhere else he's been, so there is no reason to think this time will be different. Any sensible franchise has to know this, and yet, there have been "multiple viable trade options?" Something doesn't seem to jive here.

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

Doubt it, he's done this at EVERY Stop.

Bigger picture - will there a shakeup in Miami’s front office or coaching staff resulting from the fallout of Jimmy Butler?

Granted Jimmy’s history with other teams, but when your headline player goes rogue - there has to be an organizational reset of some sort.

Doubt it, he's done this at EVERY Stop.

Ya silly take

Arison/Riley/Spo not changing

Maybe they change who they align with -- are more careful chasing malcontent big fish like Butler

But the Miami FO isn't changing from one mouthy 35 yo washed up former star

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy like Pat the Rat who FAXED his resignation into the Knicks. This was after preaching focus and practice (when my Knicks were losing playoff games because they couldn't hit free throws -- what is based on shear practice more than free throws?).
Yes, Riley has won. In LA, he won with ARGUABLY the best center ever (Kareem), ARGUABLY the best point guard ever (Magic) and a HOF in Worthy. In Miami, he had LeBron, Bosh, and D-whistle.

It's not all Butler. Yes, it's ended badly with other teams. Riley has ended relationships poorly with LeBron, Wade, Shaq, and now Jimmy.