Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is facing an uncertain future amid trade rumors and an unstable contract situation.
The veteran is expected to hit free agency this offseason, and with the trade deadline coming up in February, he has frequently been mentioned as a possible trade candidate.
Meanwhile, Butler has been sidelined lately with an illness and “return to competition reconditioning.” While Butler’s illness is reportedly legit, his former teammate Jeff Teague thinks he has probably “checked out” when it comes to the Heat.
“I think Jimmy kinda probably checked out, probably,” Teague said. “I mean, playin’ with him, bein’ his teammate in Minnesota, when he said he want out, he out. It’s over with. So they probably need to trade him.”
Teague also touched on why a Butler-De’Aaron Fox swap would make sense between the Heat and Sacramento Kings. There has been some buzz linking Fox to the Heat.
Butler is expected to return to game action for Miami on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. If Teague really does think Butler has checked out, it will be interesting to see how the six-time All-Star performs against New Orleans. His effort could be an indication of where his mind is at.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Christmas Day that Butler would prefer to be traded ahead of the deadline this season.
However, Miami Heat president Pat Riley released a statement the next day in which he claimed that the Heat “are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
It’s worth noting that Butler preferring to be traded isn’t the same as him formally requesting a trade.
Teague and Butler were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves years ago. After Butler spent the 2017-18 season with Minnesota, he requested a trade in the 2018 offseason. A trade didn’t immediately come, and things got messy before he was eventually sent away during the 2018-19 campaign.
Certainly, the Heat are hoping they can avoid an ugly ending with Butler, if an ending is even in the cards at all. There may still be a world where the two parties work out their differences and find a way to continue what has been a successful partnership.
For now, there are more questions than answers.