Despite beating the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, the Miami Heat are just 15-13 on the season. They are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference team standings and 9.5 games behind the conference leader, the Boston Celtics.
Although we’ve seen the Heat make the NBA Finals twice in the last five seasons despite being seeded outside the Top 4, the vibes are different this year with the Jimmy Butler issue.
Butler reportedly wants out of Miami. But Heat team president Pat Riley issued a statement that they are not trading their main star. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, however, believes Riley and the Heat should do Jimmy a big favor.
“I understand that Pat Riley is old and stuck in his ways at 79 years of age, pushing at 80 and I get it. A legend, a legend in the game of basketball. But Jimmy Butler has done more than enough for this franchise and he should be able to get granted his wishes, especially right now,” Perk said.
Butler led the Heat to two Finals appearances
The two-way star has been the heart and soul of the Heat since joining the team in 2019. Not only has he earned two All-Star selections in Miami, but Butler has also carried the Heat to the playoffs in each of his first five years there, including appearances in the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. But things have soured since then.
Jimmy reportedly wants out of Miami before the trade deadline and wants to go to teams like Phoenix, Golden State, Dallas, or Houston. The 35-year-old has allegedly been at odds with the Heat organization since last season’s playoffs and was the only player who did not attend Riley’s annual Christmas Party.
“So when I’m looking at the Phoenix Suns and I’m looking at Kevin Durant. Think about Kevin Durant when he’s have success in his years of basketball, meaning going to the NBA Finals or winning championships, he had dogs around him. From Draymond Green to Russell Westbrook, Jimmy Butler brings that dog to the Phoenix Suns,” the former player added.
Riley shuts down trade rumors
The rumor mill also said that Butler didn’t like that the Heat did not deny a December 10 report from ESPN that the team is willing to listen to trade offers for him. Well, Riley just issued a statement on Thursday denying rumors that “Jimbo” is available via trade.
“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,” Riley said Thursday in a statement. “Therefore, we will make it clear—we are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
With Riley’s denial, it’s unclear now what other teams think about Butler. It will be interesting to see what Shams says next. But one thing’s clear here: If there is smoke, there is fire.
