Will Jimmy Butler force his way to the Suns?

ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting that Butler reiterated his request for a trade to the Miami Heat and president Pat Riley.

Phoenix Suns trade target Jimmy Butler is trying to make things more difficult for the Miami Heat. Ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6, Butler and the Suns have been directly linked, but the stubborn nature of “The Godfather,” Pat Riley, owner Mickey Arison and general manager/executive Vice President of basketball operations Andy Elisburg is making things difficult.

But, let’s remember this is about Butler, who seems to be willing to make things extremely nasty for the Heat front office if he does not get his way. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Butler reiterated his request for a trade to Riley, but don’t get too optimistic for a trade right now.

Via ESPN:

“Butler told Riley that he will not sign a new deal in Miami and that he intends to use his $52 million player option for 2025-26 in the offseason only as a trade maneuver, sources said,” Charania wrote. “Butler’s seven-game, team-issued suspension from the Heat – for what was termed ‘detrimental conduct – ends Thursday, at which point Miami will be faced with finding a path forward for Butler, with options including a return to the roster or a trade. Heat officials will meet later this week to discuss the best route with Butler, who requested a trade earlier this month, league sources said. Owner Micky Arison is expected to also sit down with Butler later this week, league sources added.”

I like this frenetic pace that the NBA trade deadline is going at on a Tuesday. As the kids would say, “the club is going up, on a Tuesday.”

But let’s be cautious and think about who we’re dealing with here, pro-Jimmy crowd.

Riley is someone who will admit that he is maybe “washed,” but I would argue there is not a stronger man in terms of sheer conviction, right or wrong, in this league. Butler has made things ugly, and I think X conversation would point out that Butler may have an edge here. After all, he is saying he will use his $52 million player option as a trade maneuver.

The interesting part here, though – I will concur – is that coach Erik Spoelstra, players Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have spoken about “finding clarity and eliminating the distraction of Butler’s circumstances during his absence.” The Heat are perfectly fine without their 35-year-old star on the court, and there’s some credence to that in Riley’s thinking, I’d assume.

“One issue that led to Butler’s decision to request a trade, sources said, was an implication from team officials that he hadn’t played his hardest in the Heat’s victory over the Pelicans on New Year’s Day. Butler had made clear to the Heat before his suspension that he planned to partake in team activities while his status is in limbo,” sources said.

The Suns kicked off the first of a five-game road trip Tuesday against the Hawks. Meanwhile, Butler is turning this into a Miami-friendly television show that myself and others will have to be glued to find out the controversial end.