Pat Riley says Miami Heat have no plans to trade Jimmy Butler

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The Miami Heat are coming off a challenging season, sitting just one game above .500 (14-13) and currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Star forward Jimmy Butler has played in 20 of the team's 27 games this season. Butler has a $52 million player option for next season and has reportedly told multiple people he plans to opt out. Given this situation, and both parties clearly interested in parting ways, rumors of Butler being available ahead of the February trade deadline have begun to become a hot topic. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has made it clear he wants Butler to stay in Miami. “You have to compartmentalize on this thing,” Spoelstra said. “We want Jimmy to be here. There's no ifs, ands, or buts. Unfortunately, you have to control or deal with a lot of noise from the outside.” A report from ESPN's Shams Charania a few weeks ago hinted at Butler's Transfer teams are interested, and Miami has put him on the trade list. Those claims have not been confirmed, and Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, disputed the report, saying Butler did not ask for a trade. Lee may have been trying to keep the matter under wraps until closer to 2025 when any potential discussions surfaced. However, Charania reported yesterday that Butler would prefer to be traded before the All-Star deadline. This led to Heat president Pat Riley responding directly to the situation and issuing a statement to quash the rumors. “We typically do not comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and unfair to the players and coaches,” Riley said in a statement. “So we will be clear: We are not trading Jimmy Butler.” While Butler and the Heat may eventually revisit this conversation and come to a different understanding, for now, it appears Butler will remain in Miami. …Learn more with Baller AlertSubscribe and have the latest posts delivered to your email.

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