NBA Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler could team up with $215 million Mavericks star in potential Western Conference blockbuster

While Jimmy Butler has made it clear that he would prefer to be traded to another team between now and the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline, Miami President of Basketball Operations Pat Riley has said that the team won't be parting ways with their starting forward.

Despite that, rumors have continued to fly regarding Butler's future. Initially, there was talk of Butler being traded to Golden State or Phoenix. However, according to Bleacher Report, there's a way for the Dallas Mavericks to acquire Butler without losing its star players, Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving.

As NBA reporter Andy Bailey explained, Dallas could ship Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, and draft picks to Miami in exchange for the six-time All-Star.

While this deal would give Miami depth, draft assets, and veteran leadership in the form of Thompson, the move would undoubtedly be one that would put Dallas all-in on a championship run.

With Butler on an expiring deal, Dallas would have to bank on the Miami star re-signing with the team in the offseason, just like Irving did after being traded to Dallas. Even if Butler did wind up resigning this offseason, Dallas may be hesitant to part ways with the trio of Thompson, Washington, and Gafford.

Although Dereck Lively has shown that he has the makings of a starting big man, and Jimmy Butler would replace Dallas' starting small forward in Thompson, the lack of depth come playoff time might be too daunting of a possibility for a Mavericks team looking to return to the NBA finals.

"We are not trading Jimmy Butler": Pat Riley sounds off on potential trade for its star

While Jimmy Butler may have his sights set on being traded between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Pat Riley seems to have no interest in breaking up the team's roster between now and then.

With the team in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, there may be some optimism that the team has begun to find their rhythm. After ESPN's Shams Charania reported earlier in the week that although Butler hasn't formally requested a trade, he prefers to be moved before the deadline, rumors began to fly.

Allegedly, Butler has Phoenix, Golden State, Dallas, and Houston on his list of potential teams. According to Riley, however, the Heat have no interest in engaging in trade talks.

On Thursday, Ira Winderman relayed a statement from Riley on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"We usually don't comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear - We are not trading Jimmy Butler."

With plenty of time before the Feb. 6 deadline, this saga seems far from over.