Star forward Jimmy Butler recently requested a trade from the Miami Heat. In the wake of his trade demand, the Heat suspended Butler for seven games for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
The city of Miami is also expressing its displeasure with Butler’s behavior. A local artist, Kyle Holbrook, originally painted a Butler mural at the MLK Community Mural Project in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. However, Holbrook has since added an “I Quit” headband to the characterization of Butler. The Butler mural also has a trade badge on it now.
Following last Thursday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, Butler revealed he has “lost his joy” when it comes to playing on the court.
“I want to see me get my joy back for playing basketball,” Butler said. “Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon. But I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here … off the court. But I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop. I want to help this team win, and right now I’m not doing that.”
After initially being resistant to moving Butler, the team has made it clear it’s listening to offers for the six-time All-Star wing. However, Butler’s lofty contract could make finding a trade partner an uphill battle.
Butler is playing on a $49 million contract this season and previously expressed his desire for an extension. That didn’t come to fruition, and the Heat star has a $52 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
As the two sides appeared headed for a divorce, teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns have been mentioned as destinations for Butler.
