Jimmy Butler gets uncomfortably honest about relationship with Heat

"I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball," said Butler. "Wherever that may be, we'll find out here pretty soon. But I want to get my joy back.

I'm happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant. I want to hoop, and I want to help this team win, and right now, I'm not doing it."

Butler was then asked if he could "get his joy back" on the court with the Heat. His answer was simple: "Probably not."

Shortly after he spoke to the media, ESPN's Shams Charania
Brian Windhorst revealed that Butler has reportedly "indicated" to Miami that he wants the team to trade him.

There has been much speculation recently about the six-time All-Star's future in Miami. Following ESPN's report and Butler's comments, his departure from the franchise seems more likely than ever.

Thursday's game against the Pacers was Butler's second time back on the court since he exited Miami's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 20 early because he was reportedly dealing with a stomach bug.

Butler played 27 minutes in Thursday's loss to Indiana, but he only shot the ball six times and finished with nine points. This came a day after he had a similar performance in the Heat's win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 1, when he only shot five times in 25 minutes and scored just nine points.

Despite clearly wanting to join a new team sooner rather than later, Butler told everyone after Thursday's game that he would continue playing hard for Miami while the team attempted to find a solution.

"I'm going out there to compete either way," he said. "Whether I score nine points or 29 points, I will compete. That's one thing that I will say. So, you won't say that I'm out there not playing hard."

Will the Heat be able to convince Butler to change his mind and stay, or is the relationship between player and team already beyond repair?