Here we go again! The Jimmy Butler drama continues with force. Well truly it never left the scene and there’s so much already going on. With the suspension and expected return, I mean. It’s still quite curious to me why the 35-year-old would want to leave the franchise. Yes, surely there was no contract extension in the 2024 off-season, but maybe, just maybe Pat Riley could’ve agreed to talk about it had the superstar not denied the $113 million?

Meanwhile, Shams Charania, who previously faced backlash for ‘confusing’ Miami Heat fans with his reporting on Jimmy Butler, has shared some news.

The senior insider shared: “Jimmy Butler has tripled down on his trade request earlier this month. He did it to Pat Riley’s face and then last week he did it to Mickey Arison, the team owner, and the CEO, Nick Arison. And I’m told that he’d have had some productive conversations on a potential Butler trade this week.”

But keep in mind that the numbers are huge. $49 million on this year’s contract and Jimmy Butler’s next year’s contract goes up to a whopping $52 million. So whatever deal ends up happening, is it going to be just a two-team trade, three-team trade, four-team trade? Well, at this point the NBA is an arena of endless possibilities.

Speaking of possibilities, there is an interesting team that might be willing to bid for the 6x NBA All-Star forward. But, the question is will Jimmy Butler be interested?

One of the Western Conference’s giants could become a possible home for Jimmy Butler

Well, over the last couple of months, there have been nothing but rumors and speculations. However, things are getting real now. So, Kevin O’Connor has something to say about the Jimmy Butler trade story. Speaking on his podcast, the insider mentioned: “The Jimmy Butler camp told Memphis, ‘We don’t want to go.’ That also is at least an indication that, even if Memphis doesn’t have a major interest in Butler, there’s at least some interest to have talks.”

Speaking of the Grizzlies, they are 3rd in the West with a 28-15 record and a player as lethal as Ja Morant on the team. Well, if Butler doesn’t want to go there, but somehow ends up there, who knows he might have the same fate as Kawhi Leonard who didn’t want to go to Toronto but landed there and won a championship. “To my understanding,” O’Connor continued. “Butler doesn’t want to go there because there’s no confidence that Memphis would give him a long-term contract. So, he could end up just being a rental.” 

“But because his value is so deflated Miami might want to just take the best offer available, ” the insider added. “…maybe Memphis could still make that best offer with Luke Kennard that works salary-wise… And Jimmy Butler would be a great fit for this roster.” 

At the end of the day, the Jimmy Butler trade saga is heating up, and things are getting real. He’s made it clear—he wants out, and Miami is finally listening. But with his hefty contract, pulling off a deal won’t be easy. A two-team trade? Maybe. A multi-team blockbuster? Who knows. The NBA loves surprises. Meanwhile, Memphis seems interested, but Butler isn’t sold. He wants long-term security, not a short-term fling. Still, if Miami takes the best offer on the table, he might not have a choice. Whether he likes it or not, a new chapter could be coming soon.