Pat Riley lowers prices for $140 million star Jimmy Butler pushing for urgent trade, says insider

Jimmy Butler trade saga in Miami continues as reports indicate that Pat Riley is ready to lower asking price for trading the Heat star.

Pat Riley lowers prices for $140 million star Jimmy Butler pushing for urgent trade, says insider

Pat Riley at crossroads for trading Jimmy Butler

The Jimmy Butler saga in Miami continues to get progressively worse with every passing day. After multiple suspensions, countless locker room dramas and standoffs between Butler and the front office, he continues to remain with the team as they attempt to figure out their future. Although Heat President Pat Riley has been unwilling to budge on his asking price for Butler, he may have had a change of heart.

According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the Heat are at a tricky crossroads after announcing that they will be suspending Jimmy Butler for the foreseeable future. As the saga between Butler and the Heat continues to worsen, Windhorst suggested that teams might be able to pick up Butler for cheap in a trade, as Pat Riley and the Miami Heat front office would be willing to make an exception and accept a lowball.

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The [Miami] Heat are really, really trying to make this happen… in talking to people who are involved in these talks, I think the Heat’s prices have come down… They are willing to do more than when this all started last month. The Heat are trying to get this done.

Windhorst reported on ESPN

In the past, Riley and the Heat front office had maintained their demands of expecting only the maximum possible return for Butler. This would include solid players and considerable draft assets within a deal to make the trade work out for the Heat. While the Heat had been steadfast in their demands, their latest falling out might drive them to eliminate Butler from their roster as soon as possible.

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Butler’s latest suspension comes after the Heat informed him that he would no longer be starting for the team in favor of a younger Haywood Highsmith. This led Butler to walk out of practice, prompting the team’s front office to continue their suspension saga with the star, announcing an indefinite suspension for him from the team. With his latest suspensions, the fines will continue to pile on for Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy Butler trade talks in urgent stages by Miami Heat

At this point, the Miami Heat are desperate to trade Jimmy Butler. Not only have they lowered their asking price for the star, but according to ESPN Insider Shams Charania, the Heat are making a last-ditch attempt at trading away Butler in the next week and a half before the NBA’s trade deadline hits. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any deal on the table to solve their situation.

I’m told the Heat remain engaged with multiple teams on potential Jimmy Butler deals. That will remain so over the next week & a half. They have not yet received an offer that matches their asking price. But we have some time left before the NBA trade deadline.

Charania said on ESPN

The NBA trade deadline is set for Feb. 6, 2025, at 3 p.m. ET. That would give the Heat and Pat Riley just about 10 days to finalize a deal for Butler before they are left with $48.8 million of wasted cap space lying unused in a suspended Butler. That would explain Miami’s concerted efforts to find a deal for Butler, no matter what their initial expectations were.

At the moment, the Heat do not have any definitive trades, although they have been in substantial trade talks with the Phoenix Suns. While it is uncertain whether the deal materializes due to the cap restrictions posed by the Suns’ potential inability to add Bradley Beal’s contract to the deal, they remain the best possible option for Riley and Miami.