Pat Riley drops bombshell on Jimmy Butler's Heat trade rumors: "We are not trading him"

Miami Heat president Pat Riley has broken silence on Jimmy Butler's situation with the team. After five years together, the veteran swingman and the three-time NBA champions have been rumored to part ways soon, with trade rumors getting louder by the day.

However, Riley spoke on this situation and made it clear that the Floridian franchise isn't moving Butler.

""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," he said in a statement shared on the team's official X/Twitter account.

This statement, coming right from the man in charge of the basketball operations, was issued after one of many reports suggested that Butler wasn't happy about the Heat's lack of additions to help him. He hasn't requested a trade yet, but recent reports suggest he would prefer to be shipped before the trade deadline strikes.

More than that, a Thursday report says that Butler was unhappy after the Heat refused to offer him a two-year extension during the 2024 offseason.

"According to multiple sources, Butler has been disappointed with the Heat primarily because Miami declined to give him a two-year, $113 million contract extension this past summer, a deal that would have run through the 2026-27 season.

"Butler was open to signing such a deal early in the negotiating window, but his mindset changed when the extension wasn’t immediately offered by the Heat," insider Barry Jackson said.

Shams Charania explains Jimmy Butler's issue with lack of high-profile moves

NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Christmas Day that Jimmy Butler's discontent with the Heat wasn't just about the unresolved contract situation. He claimed that the lack of high-profile landings via trade or free agency frustrated the swingman, who took the Heat to the 2023 NBA Finals and several Eastern Conference finals appearances.

"Over the last three years, Jimmy Butler has wanted the Heat to get him some help on that roster, they have just have not been able to land players," Charania said. "They've gone after Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving. They have not been able to land that next big fish with Jimmy Butler."

Butler was linked with several teams in recent weeks, including the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. According to Riley, however, he isn't going anywhere.