Pat Riley is putting an end to all the speculation Jimmy Butler is up for grabs … releasing a statement to flat-out say the Miami Heat are not trading their superstar player.
The declaration comes in the wake of a report from NBA insider Shams Charania, who claimed the six-time All-Star was hoping for a change of scenery before the February trade deadline.
Reporting for NBA Countdown on the line drawn in the sand: Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami, with two teams at the top of his desired destinations – and how we got here: pic.twitter.com/FLstMhPo3P
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 25, 2024
@ShamsCharania
Charania also fueled chatter when he claimed the team was warm to the idea of shipping him elsewhere earlier this month … which led Butler’s reps to fire back with a passionate denial.
The Heat’s longtime prez is clearly fed up with it as well … and addressed all the mumblings in hopes of allowing the team to regain focus amid all the outside noise.
“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. “Therefore we will make it clear: We are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
Of course, this IS the NBA we’re talking about … so Riley could deny it until he’s blue in the face — but hoop heads won’t believe it until 12:00 PM PT on Feb. 6.
But one thing’s for sure — the legendary exec wants to nip it all in the bud as his squad tries to make it out of the Eastern Conference.