Heat not trading All-Star Jimmy Butler, Pat Riley says

The Miami Warmth don’t have any plans to commerce Jimmy Butler, group president Pat Riley stated Thursday.

“We often do not touch upon rumors, however all this hypothesis has change into a distraction to the group and isn’t honest to the gamers and coaches. Subsequently, we are going to make it clear — we aren’t buying and selling Jimmy Butler,” he stated in an announcement.

Riley’s assertion comes a day after league sources instructed ESPN’s Shams Charania that six-time All-Star Butler prefers a commerce out of Miami forward of the Feb. 6 deadline. Butler is open to commerce locations such because the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, league sources instructed Charania.

The Warmth play in Orlando on Thursday. Butler didn’t fly with the group to Orlando on Wednesday night time and has been dominated out for the sport as a result of return to competitors conditioning. He twisted an ankle in Miami’s loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Friday. He missed the rest of that recreation and the following two Warmth video games — on the Orlando Magic on Saturday and in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday — however with sickness, not the ankle, cited as the rationale.

“It’s important to compartmentalize on this enterprise,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra stated Thursday on the group’s morning shootaround in Orlando. “We would like Jimmy right here. There is not any ifs, ands or buts about it. And it is simply unlucky that you need to management or take care of lots of the noise on the surface.”

Butler is making $49 million on his contract with the Warmth for this season and has a $52 million participant choice for 2025-26 after the 2 sides failed to succeed in an extension final summer time. Butler intends to say no his 2025-26 participant choice and change into a free agent in July, sources instructed Charania.

“I really prefer it,” Butler stated earlier this month when requested about being linked to commerce talks and hypothesis. “It is good to be talked about. I do not assume there’s such a factor as unhealthy publicity — to a degree.”

Butler, 35, is averaging 18.5 factors, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. He is among the NBA’s elite opponents and a perennial postseason performer. His groups have made the playoffs in 12 of his first 13 seasons, together with the 5 earlier seasons in Miami, the place he has led the Warmth to 2 NBA Finals berths and one extra Jap Convention finals look.

The Warmth (14-13) are at present in sixth place within the Jap Convention.

The Related Press contributed to this report.