If Miami Heat fans wants to worry less about Jimmy Butler, they should listen to one of the NBA’s best salary cap experts.

Bobby Marks of ESPN thinks the Heat are in the “driver’s seat” of keeping Butler the remainder of the season. He made the claim during a recent interview on social media.

“At the end of the day, the Heat are in the driver’s seat,” Marks said. “Even if Jimmy Butler has a hissy fit, which I don’t think it’s gonna happen because they’re winning. They are in the driver’s seat. They don’t have to do anything with Jimmy Butler. Jimmy Butler can play out this year and he can decline his option and become a free agent. I know that the threat is there he will sign with someone else. My question is who?

This week, it was reported the Heat were willing to part ways with Butler. Among the destinations were the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. The Heat and Butler have denied the reports.

In the end, Marks said the Heat have limited options in trading Butler.

“Who is Jimmy Butler going to go sign with,” Marks said. “We’ve looked at the landscape of the market. The only team that has cap space is Brooklyn. You think Brooklyn is going to want a 36-year-old Jimmy Butler paying him $50 million? The answer is no.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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