Former All-Star Would Reportedly Approve Joining Heat in Jimmy Butler Trade

Theoretically, Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal can prevent any potential trade involving him and Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler swapping teams.

The key word there is ‘theoretically.’ If Beal gets a say, he may wind up in Miami after all.

According to SI NBA insider Chris Mannix, Beal is open to waiving his no-trade clause if he joins a contender. Mannix said that includes the Heat, who likely need to acquire Beal in a trade with the Suns to make finances work.

“He ain’t OKing a deal to, like, Detroit or Charlotte, or any other rebuilding team that’s out there,” Mannix reported on the Jan. 10 episode of The Open Floor NBA Show. “He’s not doing that.”

The problem, Mannix explained, is twofold. First, the logistics of making any trade involving Butler and Beal work are still extremely difficult.

More importantly, Mannix said Miami doesn’t want Beal. The three-time All-Star averages 18 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 26 games (23 starts).

It's been a great Bradley Beal game. He's 9-of-11 tonight. Still pretty shifty when attacking downhill pic.twitter.com/TjxN1QazOm
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) January 10, 2025

“They’ve made that clear,” Mannix explained. “Bradley Beal’s got two and a half years left on his contract. They don’t want that money on their books for the next couple of years.”

The 31-year-old Beal has a $53.6 million cap hit next season. Beal also owns a $57.1 million player option for the 2027 season, the final year of the five-year contract he signed in 2022.

Butler is expected to decline his $52 million player option and hit unrestricted free agency this summer.

GRIFFIN FINDS HUMOR IN BUTLER SAGA

On the one hand, former NBA All-Star Blake Griffin disagrees with how Butler has handled potentially finding a new home.

Then again, Griffin finds the humor in the never-ending saga.

“I love comedy, and I love to laugh, so this s---t’s funny,” Griffin said. “He’s got his braids a different color every night!”

Griffin spoke candidly about the ongoing Butler-Heat feud on the Jan. 9 episode of the 7PM In Brooklyn podcast. He even praised Butler for openly challenging Heat president Pat Riley, who declared Dec. 26 the team wouldn’t trade Butler.

Eight days later, the Heat announced via press release they were suspending Butler and open to trading the six-time All-Star.

“Nobody does this to Pat Riley,” Griffin noted, “so I kind of f--- with it.”

MIROTIĆ DEFENDS BUTLER’S EFFORT

Former NBA big man Nikola Mirotić doesn’t like what he’s hearing about Butler.

Mirotić, who spent three seasons with Butler on the Chicago Bulls, disputed the recent accusations about his former teammate ’quiet quitting’ on the Heat. Critics called out Butler’s effort before the Heat suspended him last week for conduct detrimental to the team.

“Jimmy Butler is probably the hardest-working player I’ve ever seen,” Mirotić told the Best in Class podcast.

Mirotić recalled Butler’s “crazy routines” during their time together. According to Mirotić, Butler showed up to the Bulls’s practice facility at 3 a.m. with his personal coach and spend two hours lifting weights.

Butler switched to basketball drills at 5 a.m., hours before Mirotić and the rest of the Bulls arrived for their practice.

“There were days when Jimmy would show up at practice, take off his shoes, and just sit on the side watching us practice,” Mirotić remembered. “I’d wonder, ‘Why isn’t Jimmy practicing?’ Then someone would tell me, ‘Jimmy already got his workout in with his coach earlier.’”

“It was his own routine, and it worked for him,” Mirotić added. “He had his own rhythm, and after a while, I understood it.”

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.