“But I will say I learned a lot about [Anthony] over the whole Olympic experience and we’ve kept in touch. I’m very grateful for the friendship we’ve built, and it will continue to grow.” Back in 2017, there was a possibility of Carmelo Anthony joining the Bulls. Even though it did not materialize, at the time, Jimmy Butler made positive remarks about his bond with Melo. And it seems the bond has genuinely grown as the 35-year-old recently had success in an off-court venture, with the Knicks legend by his side.

“Life imitates art #STAYME7O @creativemindstalks @artbasel.” The 10x All-Star captioned his posts and tagged Mickalene Thomas, Jimmy Butler, and DJ Khaled. Melo spoke to Thomas during Where Art Meets Sports series. But the meeting with Heat star and DJ Khaled was for a very different reason.

Butler recently launched a coffee shop in the Miami design district and hosted a VIP party. For the exclusive preview of Butler’s BIGFACE Coffee Shop, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pogba, and DJ Khaled attended its grand opening.

The timing of the post nobody could have predicted because a few hours ago, Shams Charania, reported about the Jimmy Butler trade talks.

“The Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right, league sources told ESPN, and Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that Butler is open to destinations such as two of the Texas teams (Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks) and the Golden State Warriors.”

The ESPN senior insider continued, “Butler is a native of Houston, Texas. Above all, though, he is believed to prefer a win-now title contender in any trade.”

Currently, he is averaging 19 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Plus, shooting a career-best 55.7% from the field, yet, these on-court performances are not enough to turn off certain trade rumors. Jimmy Butler is in his 6th season with Miami and has led the Heat to two NBA Finals berths and one Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

Butler has $49 million on his contract for this season — with a $52 million player option for 2025-26. The franchise and the player did not reach an extension last summer. As per the report, there is a high possibility that the forward will opt out of his deal to become a free agent. It seemingly is not the only hard time for Jimmy Butler, when Carmelo Anthony was there for him.

The bond between Carmelo Anthony and Jimmy Butler doesn’t develop only from sipping coffee

During the 2019-20 season, the entire world was in lockdown. At that time, the league suspended all actions until further notice. So, Melo had a series in mind where he would connect with his guests virtually. ‘What’s in Your Glass?’ was the weekly Instagram livestream between host Melo and wine lovers around the world.

It was an hour-long conversation and Carmelo Anthony selected a 2011 William Fèvre Chablis. Jimmy Butler brought out a Sassicaia 2010 and admitted to having 500-600 bottles in his cellar.

Plus, he also revealed his close second favorite, Bordeaux’s Chteau Lynch-Bages. That was the season, where the Heat lost in the NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Lakers. And incidentally, it was the time when the Heat star thought about his pop-up store.

In 2024, it has come to fruition. But if you think he is going to give a discount to his teammates, then you are wrong. Despite the trade talks, he has opened up a store in the heart of Miami district. Will it turn out to be a final year for Butler or will both parties negotiate a contract successfully?