Carmelo Anthony Tells Jimmy Butler 'Sever This S--t' with Heat, Eyes Rockets Trade

NBA legend Carmelo Anthony offered a word of advice to Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler this week amid his ongoing drama ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

Speaking on the Wave Original show 7PM in Brooklyn (beginning at the 1:34:38 mark), Melo urged Butler to have a conversation with Heat president Pat Riley about trading him if he doesn't want to be there:

"Now it's different levels of conversations trickling down Jimmy. So because of that you have to figure out a way either you in with us or you out and if you out go to Pat, have a conversation with Pat. They suspending you indefinitely because that's the most minor way of handling this. You know how crazy it is to feel like you ain't, you not with nobody and you with somebody. That's very difficult. So my advice to Jimmy, you got to sever this s--t. Your money is your money. It ain't about money. This is about now. But you gotta figure out your next move because your next move may be your best and last move."

Butler is in the midst of his third team-issued suspension over the past month due to conduct detrimental to the team.

The first suspension was for seven games, and as part of it, the Heat announced that they would listen to trade offers involving Butler. He was then suspended two games for missing a team flight.

Butler's current suspension is indefinite after he walked out of a team practice on Monday.

In terms of where Butler could potentially land if a trade is agreed upon, Anthony named the Houston Rockets as a team that would make sense:

"A team better take a chance on Jimmy Butler. It's the right situation that Jimmy has to go to. Houston could use Jimmy Butler. If we're talking about wanting to win or trying to win. Houston would be that spot. They got a younger team, they got a couple vets. They play hard, they physical. They got a dope coach in Ime [Udoka]. ... I just think personally it comes down to … You got to have a real conversation with Jimmy. Are you in or are you out? Let me know. ... So I'm going to work this with you. You can't keep doing this. The s--t was funny, it was cool at first but now it's affecting business. Right. So everybody's looking at you now like you affect they business."

The Rockets are second in the Western Conference with a 32-15 record, and they are primarily led by a young core comprised of Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and the currently injured Jabari Smith. They also have a couple of key veterans in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

While Butler has been a distraction in Miami this season, he is a 35-year-old veteran with six All-Star selections and two NBA Finals appearances to his credit.

He has been productive this season when he has played, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 54.0 percent from field.

Butler also has a history of raising his level of play during the postseason, as he has averaged 24.7 points per game over his four playoff runs with the Heat.

Given that Butler could opt out of his contract to become a free agent during the offseason, he would perhaps be a low-risk, high-reward acquisition for a Rockets team that is very much in championship contention.