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Jimmy Butler Sends Latest Secret Message to Phoenix Suns Using His Shoes

Stephen Douglas

Jimmy Butler drives against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jimmy Butler drives against the Portland Trail Blazers. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Jimmy Butler is still a member of the Miami Heat and he's running out of ways to say he wants to be traded. Throughout the season Butler has changed his hair color in a possible nod to teams he wanted to be traded to. He's gone through backchannels to try and facilitate a trade. He's even said out loud some things that sound a lot like TRADE ME.

And yet there he was in the starting lineup for the Heat on Tuesday night as they lost at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. Butler scored 13 points, had eight assists and took nine shots. And he did it all wearing sneakers adorned with the colors of the Phoenix Suns.

What else can he do besides hop in his car and drive to Phoenix and sit outside until they get a deal done? The trade deadline is two weeks away and the Suns haven't even approached Bradley Beal about waiving his no-trade clause. At least they're acquiring assets, which appears to be more than the Heat are doing to make this work.

Miami's next game is Thursday night in Milwaukee. The game will be broadcast on TNT so if you're waiting for Butler to make a grand gesture, that might be the time.

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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.

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