Jimmy Butler's Heat legacy is secure whether he is traded or stays in Miami

Whether Jimmy Butler’s days in Miami are numbered remains to be seen, but rumors continue to circulate about his desire to be traded. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Christmas Day that Butler has not formally requested a trade but prefers to be dealt to a contending team ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

Should Miami’s front office (which has a history of prioritizing its own preferences over players leveraging themselves) decide to part with Butler, it would end one of the Heat’s most successful stretches — which has largely happened thanks to the six-time All-Star establishing himself as one of the best players in franchise history.

Many were well aware of Butler’s impact in prior stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls, but Miami is where he grew from consistent All-NBA selection to viable future candidate for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In a league riddled with stars pushing their own path, it makes sense for anyone with Butler’s confidence to seek respect both via a new contract and an opportunity to play on the NBA’s biggest stage again; after all, at this point, his résumé is pretty much missing only an NBA championship.

Since joining the Heat in 2019, Butler has restored their viability with two NBA Finals runs (2023, 2020), three Eastern Conference finals appearances and five consecutive playoff berths (one shy of tying the longest streak in team history) while setting the single-game franchise record for points in a playoff game (56 against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023, with a legendary heat check to boot — partial apologies for the pun). In his five-plus seasons with Miami, Butler has been a catalyst for the team tying the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA’s seventh-best win percentage during that time (.577). In the Heat’s five seasons preceding Butler’s arrival — right after LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers — they ranked only 14th in win percentage while missing the playoffs three times.

In short: Butler’s Heat tenure has credibly redeemed the glimmer of hooping in South Florida. That most applies when “Playoff Jimmy” suits up as one of the best postseason risers the NBA has ever seen.

Encapsulating Butler’s impact is better framed by his timing rather than a singular stat. Each of his eight 40-point games in a Heat uniform have come in the postseason, tying him with Luka Dončić and Devin Booker for the most such outings since the 2020 playoffs. Even at 35 and battling the occasional ankle injury, Butler’s presence remains a credible upgrade for any team seeking critical wins in its push for the playoffs and any hopeful finals run, especially considering his rumored aspirations to play for the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets or Phoenix Suns, each of whom is over .500 but long for any means to further distinguish themselves in a crowded Western Conference.

This season, Butler is sporting his lowest scoring average since his third year in the NBA (18.5 points), but he’s also never been more efficient (career-high 55.2 percent overall shooting) while ranking third on the team in shot attempts. Each of his two highest true shooting percentages have come while playing in Miami. Whether mastering on-court efficiency, reportedly leveraging one last big payday or seemingly trolling with hair colors, few athletes in recent memory have more distinctly picked their spots than Butler, whose $52.4 million player option for next season looms large when gauging the viability and timing of his next basketball chapter.

Contenders are supposed to want players of his caliber, but that doesn’t obligate the Heat to trade him for less than what they value. But no matter how either party leverages itself, it won’t change the fact Butler has turned around the Heat and returned winning basketball to Miami.

Beyond playoff accolades and milestones, he’s been key behind the growth of three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo and budding All-Star Tyler Herro. The latter’s leap into Miami’s leading scorer has offered occasional glimpses of the team’s future if Butler does depart, but it’s also partially why this Heat core seemingly remains tempting for the front office and head coach Erik Spoelstra to try maximizing for one last surprise playoff run despite this season’s frustrations.

Entering Thursday, Miami (14-13) sits a half-game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks (15-15) for the sixth spot in the East. The Heat match up Thursday night against the currently fourth-ranked Orlando Magic (19-12) in an opportunity to amend last Saturday’s surprising loss, when Orlando wiped away a 25-point lead in the fourth quarter without its two best players. Butler, who has missed the team’s last two games and sat out six so far this season, is doubtful to play as he restores his conditioning, but his impact when he does play remains Miami’s ultimate switch. According to NBA.com, the Heat enjoy a plus-6.2 net rating in Butler’s 627 minutes on the court this season, which would rank seventh among all teams, ahead of the Mavericks (plus-6.1), Magic (plus-3.8) and Denver Nuggets (plus-2.8). Whenever he’s sat, though, Miami’s mark of minus-1.3 resembles that of middling squads with Play-In aspirations, such as the San Antonio Spurs (minus-1.5) and Indiana Pacers (minus-1.5).

Beyond that, the Heat’s upcoming schedule and imminent future can further determine how close Miami and Butler are to parting ways … whether by Feb. 6 or after the season, depending on how one last Butler-led Heat postseason could play out. When it comes to Butler, timing is often everything, but Miami is rightly patient in gauging how to play one of the most valuable cards the franchise has ever held.

(Top photos: Rich Storry / Getty Images )