Remember when Miami Heat President Pat Riley boldly declared, “We are not trading Jimmy Butler”? Well, that ship has sailed. While the Heat fans had a measure of comfort in that statement, Jimmy Butler’s unofficial request for a trade to the franchise flipped the script. Now, even more twists have emerged in Butler’s trade saga, with a potential suitor taking their next step.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, “The Warriors and Heat have held discussions with one another regarding Butler this season, league sources confirmed.” The sacrifice that GM Mike Dunleavy and the Dubs might have to make for the trade will include the Warriors forward as the Eastern side reportedly demanded. “Although interest exists, the Heat have made it clear that Jonathan Kuminga is a player they would want,” the Insider added.

Both Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga have had issues with their contract extensions. Neither of them has received the requested extensions from their respective franchises. The 22-year-old Congolese forward is earning $24.8 million and will soon become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. This comes after the Warriors reportedly didn’t agree to give him the contract he sought, which was allegedly $5 million apart.

Jimmy Butler, on the other hand, is earning $49 million in the final year of his contract with the Heat. The 35-year-old has a $52 million player option for next season, which likely won’t be needed if his move to the Bay Area finally materializes.

The 6-time All-Star also had some bitter experience with the Heat President. Jimmy Butler’s relationship with Riley was questioned this summer after The Godfather told the media that Jimmy should keep his “mouth shut” during the season-ending press conference. This came up after a controversial comment from Butler, who missed the postseason games due to a knee injury, where he claimed the Heat would have beaten the Celtics if he had been playing with the squad.

Now, after Riley had already confirmed that they weren’t parting ways with the star, Jimmy’s recent remarks have indicated his interest in pursuing a different path.

Jimmy Butler hints at a possible move with latest statement

Following a devastating 128-115 loss and a disappointing 9-point performance, Jimmy Butler expressed that he’s no longer enjoying the game but hopes to regain it, if not in Miami then may be somewhere else. “I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon,” he told the media.

To get confirmation on whether he could get back his joy with Miami, Jimmy was asked about it, but he bluntly answered, “Probably not.” If that’s not a clear indication, then what is? Well, there’s more to it. “I’m happy here off the court,” Jimmy confessed. “But I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop and I want to help this team win, and right now I’m not doing it.”

Jimmy has been an integral part of the Heat, guiding the franchise to the 2020 and 2023 NBA Finals. There’s no surprise that it’s his leadership and skill that have made them a potential threat to other teams. If he were to leave, the Heat would undoubtedly lose a key player, and their competitiveness would certainly take a hit. What happens next in this dramatic saga will definitely be something you won’t want to miss, so stay tuned.