Report: NBA Insiders Say Jimmy Butler Looks 'Disengaged' amid Heat Trade Rumors

As Jimmy Butler continues to put pressure on the Miami Heat to grant his wish for a trade, people around the NBA have taken notice of his demeanor on the court.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the thought from multiple people who watched the Heat's win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday was that Butler "looked disengaged."

That was Butler's first appearance since Dec. 20, when he only played seven minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an ankle injury. He scored nine points on 3-of-5 shooting against the Pelicans.

Butler was back in the lineup again for Thursday's 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers. He once again didn't seem interested in making a strong impression, finishing with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Speaking after the loss, Butler told reporters he wants to "get my joy back from playing basketball" and said "probably not" when asked if he could do that with the Heat.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst, Butler has indicated to the Heat he wants to be traded and is open to playing anywhere.

This came after Heat president Pat Riley issued a statement on Dec. 26 in which he said in no uncertain terms they won't be trading Butler.

All of this has happened after an offseason in which there appeared to be some friction between the two sides. Butler said in May that if he had been playing in the postseason, they would have defeated the Boston Celtics.

Riley told reporters during his end-of-season press conference when asked about Butler's comment that "you should keep your mouth shut" if you're not playing in the games.

In the same press conference, Riley suggested the Heat wouldn't be giving Butler an extension because it was a "big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you're somebody who's really going to be there, available every single night.

Charania reported over the summer that Butler would play out his existing contract rather than sign an extension with the Heat or another team if he were to get traded. He is making $48.8 million this season with a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.

Despite his recent play, Butler has largely been an effective player this season. He is averaging 17.6 points on 55.2 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Butler's age (35) and durability concerns have limited his ability to be an impact player as he has been at his best. He has already missed 10 games this season and has only played more than 60 games in a season once since 2019-20.

The Heat currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 17-15 record. Even though Riley doesn't seem likely to blink in a staring contest with any player, it might eventually get to a point where it's in the best interest of the franchise to move on from Butler if things keep going the way they have been.