The Miami Heat have no plans to trade Jimmy Butler, team president Pat Riley said Thursday.
“Normally we don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction for the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. That’s why we will make it clear: we are not trading in Jimmy Butler,” he said. in a statement.
Riley’s statement comes a day after league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that six-time All-Star Butler favors a trade from Miami before the Feb. 6 deadline.
Butler has a $49 million contract with the Heat for this season and a $52 million player option for the 2025-26 season after the two teams failed to reach an extension last summer. Butler plans to decline his 2025-2026 player option and become a free agent in July, sources told Charania.
Butler, 35, is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. He is one of the NBA’s elite competitors and a consistent postseason performer. His teams made the playoffs in twelve of his first thirteen seasons, including the previous five seasons in Miami, where he led the Heat to two NBA Finals berths and one additional Eastern Conference finals appearance.
The Heat (14-13) are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.