Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors: Heat 'Against' Acquiring Future Salary amid Suns Buzz

The Miami Heat are reportedly against acquiring players with "significant future money" left on their deals in any trade involving Jimmy Butler.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported the latest for the Stein Line newsletter on Saturday:

"Sources say Miami is also against acquiring players in exchange for Butler who have significant future money, like Beal, remaining on their contracts. That information has been the most consistent takeaway cited when conferring with NBA personnel about the Heat's trade preferences, on top of how any diligent front office will always seek promising young players, impact veterans and draft capital when trading away a talented player like Butler with numerous All-Star appearances on his résumé and who has proven himself as a playoff performer."

It's no surprise that the Suns want Butler on their roster. ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reported on Friday that acquiring Butler is Phoenix's "top objective" prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Butler has made his trade request to Miami abundantly clear. Those two sides are headed for a divorce, especially after a seven-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team and another two missed games for a "continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today's team flight to Milwaukee," per the team.

Now there's a race against the clock for Butler to be moved before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. One can imagine that's going to happen, especially given the fact that the Heat could potentially lose the impending free agent for nothing should he decline his 2025-26 player option.

Butler, as his recent choice of footwear shows, wouldn't mind being a member of the Suns.

For now, though, Butler is a member of the Heat. One can imagine that won't be the case for long, though, as this lengthy and messy split appears to near its end.