Miami Heat team president Pat Riley said Thursday the team will not trade Jimmy Butler. Riley was responding to a recent report that said Butler preferred to be relocated by the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
“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 said Thursday. “Therefore, we will make it clear — We are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
News of Butler’s trade request was first reported by ESPN earlier this week.
Riley’s attempt to shut down those distractions comes as the Heat sit at 14-13 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Butler has been out since Dec. 20 and could miss more time due to illness.
The 35-year-old six-time All-Star played in 20 games this season, averaging 18.5 points and 4.9 assists per game, his lowest averages in years. Butler has historically elevated his play in the postseason, most recently averaging 26.9 points per game in the Heat’s run to the Finals in 2022-23, but he missed the 2024 playoffs due to an MCL sprain sustained during the Play-In Tournament.
After Miami’s playoff exit, Riley publicly called out Butler for making waves with his comments about opponents despite missing time.
“If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut,” Riley told reporters in May about Butler.
Later in the offseason, the Heat opted to not offer Butler a long-term contract extension in the offseason.
This story will be updated.
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