Heat forward Jimmy Butler, whose relationship with the team has become somewhat strained, now prefers to be traded, ESPN reported Wednesday. Sources involved with Butler and the Heat both said that he has not formally requested a trade, but nobody has denied that he is unhappy.

And Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, declined to comment on the report. A source who has spoken to multiple teams told The Miami Herald that Butler is considered available on the trade market. Butler was non-committal when asked earlier this month if he wants to remain with the Heat.

But there’s nothing to suggest that a deal was imminent, and no indication that the Heat would cave to his preferences. The NBA can fine players as much as $150,000 if they publicly request a trade, but there is no fine for privately requesting a trade. Wednesday’s report follows an odd week in which Butler left a game against Oklahoma City with what appeared to be a sprained ankle but didn’t return – or play in the following two games – because of what the Heat identified on the injury report as a stomach illness.

Butler was listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game at Orlando (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Sun), with a return to competition/re-conditioning designation; he did not accompany the team to Orlando on Thursday evening. A source insists he has been genuinely ill.

No team except the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets would have the cap space necessary to sign Butler to a max contract in free agency in July.

The Heat is not at all concerned about the possibility of losing him for nothing in free agency, a source with direct knowledge said. 2). The Heat has not been presented with an appealing trade offer. In fact, it’s unclear if the Heat has received any offer. While ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Butler wants a trade, ESPN’s Bobby Marks said there’s a growing belief around the league that he will not be dealt before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Among teams that reportedly appeal to Butler, Houston has told people that it has no interest in pursuing a trade for him (according to one of those people), while Dallas and Phoenix appear to lack available assets that would appeal to Miami. There also would be salary cap complications involving any deal with the Suns and the Mavericks. Golden State, which reportedly also appeals to Butler, could emerge as a potential trade partner.

The Warriors would like to add another All Star caliber player to pair with Stephen Curry, but have said they aren’t in a rush to make a move. With Golden State, any trade likely would include at least one of the Warriors’ three available first-round picks and a package including impending restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Andrew Wiggins (more salary would be needed than those two) or a package of Wiggins, picks and other players.

Kuminga is reportedly seeking a new contract worth more than $30 million annually. Wiggins, 29, is earning $26.3 million this season and due to make $28.2 million next season, with a $30.2 million player option in 2026-27. The Heat cannot take back more salary than it sends out in a trade, which further complicates matters and could necessitate the involvement of a third team if Butler is traded to either the Warriors (who can take back only $400,000 more than they’re sending out) or another team with a high payroll.

According to multiple sources, Butler has been disappointed with the Heat primarily because Miami declined to give him a two-year, $113 million contract extension this past summer, a deal that would have run through the 2026-27 season.

Butler was open to signing such a deal early in the negotiating window, but his mindset changed when the extension wasn’t immediately offered by the Heat. The three-year, $146.4 million extension that Butler signed with the Heat in the 2021 offseason includes a guaranteed $48.8 million salary for this season and a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season. The extension that Butler sought would have replaced his 2025-26 option and added an additional year.

This two-year max extension would have included salaries of $54.3 million for the 2025-26 season (nearly a $2 million increase from the player option in Butler’s current contract for that season) and $58.6 million for the 2026-2027 season when Butler will be 37 years old.

Those numbers could fluctuate based on where the NBA’s salary cap is set for those seasons. The Heat theoretically could still offer Butler that contract, but Miami has given no indication that it will. Butler is limited to the maximum of a two-year extension because the over-38 rule does not allow him to sign a new contract that would take him past the next three years, including the one season of guaranteed money remaining on his current deal. So essentially, Butler wanted the Heat to replace the two years and $101.2 million remaining on his contract (should he exercise the 2025-26 player option) with a three-year commitment worth $161.7 million.

But the Heat indicated that it was not ready to make that commitment to a player who turned 36 in September and has missed at least 20 games each of the past four seasons. After the Heat did not quickly agree to an extension this past offseason, Butler decided to play out this season and exercise his option to become a free agent this upcoming summer.

That remains his intention, sources said. Beyond the contract, other issues also have led to Butler’s increasing ambivalence toward remaining with Miami. A source said that Butler was caught off guard when Heat president Pat Riley, during a May news conference, scolded him for saying that “Boston would be at home” and “New York damn sure would be [expletive] at home” if Butler had been healthy for Miami’s five-game first-round playoff playoff loss against the Celtics, which he missed because of a knee injury. “For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling, or is that Jimmy serious?’”

Riley said during his end-of-season press conference. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut.” According to a source, Butler was also disappointed that the Heat did not publicly deny a Dec. 10 ESPN report that Miami was open to trading him.

Butler recently skipped the Heat’s annual Christmas party at Riley’s home, but a source cautioned that while he isn’t thrilled with the Heat, he also has missed the party a few times previously. A source added that Butler had not been disruptive this season, but the trade noise continues to get louder ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline.

NEWS NOTE

Guard Terry Rozier, who missed Monday’s win against Brooklyn with knee inflammation, is questionable for Thursday’s game. Josh Richardson (heel) is out.