Heat President Pat Riley Addresses Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors

Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler has been the subject of trade speculation for weeks. President Pat Riley has now weighed in.

Jimmy Butler (22) of the Miami Heat controls the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., on Dec. 20, 2024. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler will stay in South Beach, team president Pat Riley says.

Riley released a statement on Thursday amid trade speculation surrounding Butler, which has been ongoing for weeks. Riley called it “a distraction” at the moment.

“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,” Riley stated.

Butler has been with the team since 2019 after a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. He led the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 amid 21.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in three-plus seasons with the team.

Butler has been effective this season with 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per night, but he has dealt with an ankle injury of late. He could be in line for more money next year in lieu of his $52 million player option for next season. Butler currently has a three-year, $145.39 million deal with the Heat.

“You have to compartmentalize in this business,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Thursday. “We want Jimmy here. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And it’s just unfortunate that you have to control or deal with a lot of the noise on the outside.”

According to multiple media reports, Butler prefers a trade before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. That said, Butler doesn’t mind the off-court noise.

“I actually like it,” Butler told reporters on Dec. 11. “It’s good to be talked about. I don’t think there’s such a thing as bad publicity—to a point.”

Butler’s agent, Bernard Lee of Thread Sports Management, has been adamant that the media speculation of trading Butler is unfounded. Lee repeatedly shot down rumors on social media platform X in recent weeks.

“All this is fabricated,” Lee wrote on Dec. 11 in response to a rumor that Butler was open to moving to the Phoenix Suns while Miami was listening to trade offers.

If the Heat do trade Butler, it would be the fourth time in his career.

The Chicago Bulls, which drafted Butler in 2011, traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017. Things didn’t work out in Minneapolis, and the Wolves traded him to the 76ers in 2018.

A five-time All-NBA recipient and six-time All-Star, Butler has a career average of 18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in his 14th season out of Marquette.