Jimmy Butler trade rumors are heating up, and his coach Erik Spoelstra and teammate Tyler Herro aren’t happy about it.
Shams reported that “the Heat are willing to listen to offers for Butler and if the offer is a good fit, a deal will be reached,” and league sources told ESPN that Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has said in league circles that Butler Le is open to destinations such as those for both players. Butler is a native of Houston, Texas.
But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to quash trade speculation surrounding the star forward.
“This has been our best and most consistent stretch of the season,” Spoelstra said, according to Ira Windman of the Sun-Sentinel. “So anything else, any other narrative, I don’t care. No one should do it because most of this stuff is a bunch of gibberish.
Tyler Herro, who is in good shape, also wouldn’t talk about the rumors surrounding Shimi Backes.
“I had to check my phone this morning,” Herro said, according to Vindman. “I don’t know what was said. It felt like a good atmosphere here today, so I don’t know. I don’t know what you were talking about.
Rumors of Butler joining the Rockets, Warriors, and Mavericks are definitely nothing new, but the fact that the Heat are listening to offers for their star player is, and makes for a very interesting story heading into February’s trade deadline. .
With the Golden State Warriors missing out on their targets Paul George and Lauri Markkanen over the summer, the team is clearly willing to spend some cash on a star player.
As for the Rockets, they do have a lot of draft capital and cash to burn.
But with Butler often injured, might teams be a little reluctant to sign him because of his hefty asking price?
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