The Jimmy Butler trade saga is now set for one final chapter. Over the past month or so, Butler has been the talk of the town. The disgruntled superstar has fallen out with the Miami Heat front office, especially president Pat Riley. However, with the trade deadline looming upon Miami and Butler, a deal still hasn’t solidified with any team.

Recently, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, while speaking to Sports Center revealed why there has been so much fluctuation in the market for Butler. According to him, the Heat superstar doesn’t have a no-trade clause, he will become a free agent by the end of this season. Moreover, his lack of assurance to re-sign to the team is what’s turning potential suitors away.

He also noted that Butler is adamant about a move to his preferred destination– Phoenix! “The thing to understand about Jimmy, there’s nothing that he wants to hear right now that doesn’t include getting him to Phoenix.” said Windhorst. Despite Butler’s strong message, his fate lies in the hands of Bradley Beal. While the Suns’ dream is certainly alive at the moment, with just a couple of days remaining it would require a complex alliance to push the deal through.

So, what’s Pat Riley and the Heat’s stance? It remains unchanged. “If the Suns are unable to find a workable trade for Jimmy Butler by Thursday’s deadline, the Heat will pivot to sending him to a team he doesn’t prefer.” As per Windhorst. Miami and Riley are trying everything they can to ship Jimmy Butler before February 6th. They are even ready to go to the extent of trading him to a team he doesn’t want to play for.

Jimmy Butler snubbed a chance to play alongside Steph Curry due to his unwillingness to sign an extension

Among an array of activities that started after the Doncic-Davis trade, the Golden State Warriors tried to lure Jimmy Butler. However, with the talks progressing, all of it soon came to a halt after Butler turned down to assure the Warriors that he’ll sign an extension at Golden State as per Brian Windhorst.

The Warriors have been one of the few teams looking to land the Heat superstar. However, he has a player option for the final year of his contract that would pay him $52 million. It’s because of his ability to decline the option, that any team that signs Butler will need some assurance from his side. The team will be surrendering their assets with the hopes that Jimmy will suit up for them after this season. Not only was the Golden State not given an assurance, but instead they were told the exact opposite!

So, they’ve decided to not pursue Butler instead. However, things could take an awkward turn for Jimmy as his preferred team, the Suns are running out of time to figure out a deal. If they don’t, Pat Riley and Co. might just send him to a team he doesn’t want to play for. This includes the Warriors. Nonetheless, with February 6th just around the corner, there’s plenty more to come regarding the Butler trade saga.