Pat Riley has finally addressed the Jimmy Butler trade rumors and he has made his stance clear.
On Thursday, the Miami Heat's president issued a statement in which he was definitive that the team would not trade Butler despite rumors to the contrary.
Riley's statement is below:
"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."
The Heat have struggled this season and are currently 14-13 and sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Butler has similarly struggled a bit, as his scoring numbers are down. Through 20 games he is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 31.4 minutes per game. That said, he is shooting a career-best 55.2% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range.
Butler is currently making $48.8 million this season and holds a player option for $52.4 million for the 2025-26 campaign.
For weeks it has been rumored Butler wants a trade and as those whispers grew louder it has become a distraction for the Heat. It appears a rift has developed between Riley and Butler as well. Back in May, Riley was noncommittal about giving Butler a contract extension.
The Heat acquired Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers via a sign and trade deal in July of 2019. He has been a team leader ever since and has taken them to the NBA Finals twice.
Butler is 35 and a six-time All-Star. Plenty of teams would be interested if he hit the trade block. It doesn't appear Riley and the Heat are interested in moving him.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pat Riley Makes Definitive Statement On Jimmy Butler’s Future With Heat.
