Pat Riley Statement Shows Heat Content To Wait Until Summer To Resolve Jimmy Butler Situation

December 26, 2024

All this Jimmy Butler-to-Phoenix noise? Yeah, it’s reverberated across the NBA, but according to Heat president Pat Riley, Miami is having none of it. Jimmy Butler, Heat, NBA

In a move that screams “Miami doesn’t play,” Riley dropped a bombshell of a statement on Thursday, effectively turning down the volume on all the trade chatter.

“We are not trading Jimmy Butler,” Riley declared, attempting to put an end to speculation just like that.

With the NBA trade deadline looming on Feb. 6, Marc Stein of The Stein Line points out that Miami had already shown zero interest in moving Butler to the Suns.

And here’s the kicker — what Phoenix can put on the table isn’t exactly a king’s ransom. The Suns, strapped by the NBA’s second luxury tax apron, can only throw a 2031 first-round pick and Bradley Beal‘s contract into the mix.

Oh, and three second-round picks. That’s it, folks. No other firsts, no combining contracts.

But despite this, the national TV conversation has been all about Phoenix’s desire to land Butler and Butler’s reported openness to the idea. It’s like everyone forgot the key variable here — Miami’s disinterest in what Phoenix can offer, as Stein noted.

Riley’s statement isn’t just a no; it’s a neon sign flashing that the Heat are content to wait until the summer to sort out Butler’s future.

And let’s not forget, Butler could hit free agency if he opts out of his $52.4 million player option.

But as Stein reminds us, the Heat have history on their side. Remember 2019? Miami pulled off a sign-and-trade for Butler with Philly despite having no cap space. This gives them confidence they can do it again, potentially finding a deal they like more than any current trade offers.

The Nets are the only team with the cap space to potentially sign Butler outright, but that’s not happening with Brooklyn in rebuild mode.

So, what’s Butler’s next move after Riley’s statement? That’s up in the air, but don’t expect Riley to backtrack anytime soon. Not in these next 40 days leading up to the deadline.