As he increasingly becomes the subject of trade rumors, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler may want to stay more than anything, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Windhorst said on Thursday First recording He believes that “Butler would prefer to sign a contract extension in Miami.” However, he added that most NBA executives think Butler is the big star most likely to be moved before the Feb. 6 trade deadline becomes:

Butler got this all started when he made it clear In the offseason, he intends to decline his 2025 player option and head to free agency.

The Heat typically don’t trade star players and their short-term focus is on competition. Still, the organization can’t completely ignore the potential benefits of trading Butler now that his contract is expiring.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported this week that Miami is “open” to moving the six-time All-Star at the right price. According to Charania, Butler’s agent, meanwhile, indicated that his client wouldn’t mind landing with the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks or Houston Rockets.

Bernie Lee, who represents the veteran striker, responded to the rumors in a series of posts

Charania responded on Thursday First recording (via Awful Annancing) by saying his story had been “fully verified” and that “I stand by my reporting 1,000 percent.”

Furthermore, the Miami HeraldAnthony Chiang provided important context Thursday when he reported that Butler “never asked to be traded and that the Heat are not aggressively shopping him.”

Both Butler and Miami have compelling reasons to continue this partnership.

The 35-year-old has already seen what he can achieve in South Florida. Sure, the Heat didn’t win a title, but reaching two NBA Finals is much better than many franchises have fared in the last five years.

The Heat know they will likely suffer setbacks if they trade Butler or watch him sign elsewhere in free agency as well. They don’t have much salary cap flexibility to pursue a star on the open market, and if they acquire one – without Butler – via trade, they’ll be in the same position they’re in now. They would be at least one major talent away from seriously contending for the championship.

As much as Butler’s future appears to be in flux, the saga could have a pretty disappointing conclusion this summer.