(AP) — Jimmy Butler knows there are a lot of questions about his future with the Miami Heat. He could be traded, leave as a free agent next summer, exercise his $52.4 million option and return to the Heat, or sign a new contract.
“Do you know?” Butler asked.
Apparently, even he doesn’t have the answer.
The Heat forward, who led the team to two NBA Finals appearances during his time in Miami, spoke out about trade speculation Wednesday and told reporters after practice that he doesn’t mind his name being in the rumors. . ESPN reported earlier this week that the Heat are open to accepting trade offers. That’s not surprising, given Butler’s contract situation and the possibility that the Heat could leave him next summer without getting anything in return.
“I actually like it,” said Butler, who is averaging 19 points per game this season. “It’s good to be talked about. To a certain extent, I don’t think there’s such a thing as bad publicity.”
Butler’s future in Miami has been talked about for some time.
The Heat could have offered Butler an extension last summer, but likely won’t for a variety of reasons, including Butler’s age (35) and the fact that he missed 26% of Miami’s games in his first five seasons with the team. You should have chosen that.
It’s clear he still influences wins. Miami is 8-2 this season when teams score at least 18 points. And the Heat aren’t new to trade speculation. Tyler Herro has been the center of rumors each of the past three summers. He’s still in Miami, playing at an All-Star level and being the Eastern Conference’s Most Valuable Player this week.
“The rest of the story doesn’t matter to me,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said this week.
Butler said Wednesday that money doesn’t really matter to him at this point. He stopped short of saying he definitely wants to stay in Miami: “I’m sure you’re going to get a report saying that’s not the case anyway, so it’s pointless for me to answer that question.” ” he said — and he’s not interested in a contract extension or trade.
“My kids are important, my happiness is important, my happiness is important, and my family is important,” Butler said. “Right now it’s all about competing, staying healthy and playing great basketball. I think I’ve come this far, so let’s see what I can get.”
This has been a hot topic on social media for several days now, and in recent weeks Butler’s hair color (sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes red) has been linked to trade speculation with teams like Golden State, Dallas, and Robinson. Some have even suggested that it may be consistent with Houston.
That being said, he has claimed since arriving in Miami that he wants to bring the team another championship. That stance has not changed.
“We’re going to keep winning. I’m proud of our players,” Butler said. “I see everyone here working and we know what we’re capable of.”
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