Carmelo Anthony issues Heat word of caution amid Jimmy Butler trade saga

Amid the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler trade saga, NBA icon Carmelo Anthony cautioned the franchise about the dangers of not granting the superstar forward's wish.

Following months of reports about Butler being disgruntled by his lack of a maximum contract extension, he requested a trade on Jan. 2. The next day, Miami announced that it suspended him for seven games "for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team."

Ahead of his suspension, Butler appeared disengaged, with some pointing out his seemingly questionable shot selection. Moreover, on the day of his trade request, the five-time All-NBA selectee questioned his ability to rediscover on-court "joy" with the Heat during a postgame interview.

While Butler has already served four games of his seven-game suspension, according to Anthony, the situation could grow uglier upon his presumed Jan. 17 return.

On Thursday's edition of "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony," he noted that the hard-working Butler must be dealing with "something serious" to sabotage his team.

"Jimmy works extremely hard. Four or five times a day, five in the morning. He's very disciplined. I've seen him. I've been around him. This ain't the Jimmy that I know," Anthony said. "Something is going on with Jimmy, and people need to get in front of that."

Anthony added that Miami president Pat Riley, who has been reluctant to extend or trade Butler, should give in and ship his top player away. Per the 10-time All-Star, if Butler isn't traded, he could further undermine the Heat's season.

"Pat, (the) best thing to do is just part ways, man," Anthony said. "This is going to get ugly because Jimmy is not a guy that's going to back down. He'll start forcing his way, and then if you don't trade him during the deadline, that Miami s**t is gonna get nasty."

In its statement on Jimmy Butler's suspension, Miami (19-17) said it would "listen to offers" for the 14-year veteran. He is making $48.8 million this season, with a $52.4 million player option for next season.

Between that and Butler's desire for another max deal, any team that trades for him would likely be making a sizeable long-term investment.

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Carmelo Anthony on ideal trade destination for Jimmy Butler

As for where Carmelo Anthony would like to see Jimmy Butler land, he chose the LA Lakers. According to Anthony, Butler would be an ideal fit on the veteran-laden squad, as he could alleviate pressure on superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

"I'm sending Jimmy to the Lakers," Anthony said (Timestamp: 1:15:13). "You've got a veteran team; you've got veteran guys on your team. Bron knows how to f**k with you. He knows what you're gonna bring to the team.

"They need defense, you bring that. You bring toughness and you can go get it. Bron doesn't want to have to keep going to get it all (the time). AD is going out there doing what he's doing, and you put Jimmy alongside them."

The Lakers (20-16) are regularly connected to big-name players in trade rumors. However, a Butler trade would likely further deplete the team's depth while increasing its age. Thus, acquiring the 35-year-old may not be worth the risk for the middling organization.

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