Pat Riley states Heat are ‘not trading Jimmy Butler’ amid reports he wants out
Dec 26, 2024, 12:40 PM | Updated: 1:46 pm
Miami Heat president Pat Riley released a statement on Thursday to address the ongoing trade smoke that surrounds superstar player Jimmy Butler, much of which has linked him to the Phoenix Suns.
“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,” Riley wrote in a statement posted by the team. “Therefore, we will make it clear – We are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
The comments come one day after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Butler prefers to be traded by Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. Butler, 35, is in the final year of his contract but has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
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The Miami Herald reported Butler has not formally requested to be traded but is unhappy with the situation.
Butler joined the Heat ahead of the 2019-20 season and has led the team to two NBA Finals appearances. The swingman is eligible for an extension that would guarantee him $113 million for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
He played 60 games last year and has not eclipsed 65 since 2018-19. After last season, Riley told reporters extending Butler had not been earnestly discussed.
“That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night,” Riley said.
Charania first reported Butler’s interest in the Suns, along with Golden State, Dallas and Houston. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro confirmed the interest, saying he believes Butler’s top choice would be Phoenix if traded.
Orchestrating a potential Suns trade for Butler is tricky due to the NBA’s tax aprons, as well as Bradley Beal’s gaudy contract and no-trade clause.
The Heat are 14-13 this season, and Butler has averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 20 games played. He is listed as doubtful for Miami’s game on Thursday against Orlando due to “return to competition reconditioning.”
“We want Jimmy here. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Thursday. “And it’s just unfortunate that you have to control or deal with a lot of the noise on the outside.”
The Suns are 15-14 after a Christmas Day win over the Denver Nuggets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
