Heat’s Butler returns to practice, said doesn’t know if he wants to remain with Heat
After missing five games under curious circumstances, Jimmy Butler rejoined his Miami Heat teammates for practice Tuesday but did not deny an ESPN report that he prefers to play elsewhere and said he does not know if he wants to remain with the Heat.
After practicing with the team at Kaseya Center, Butler said he’s “hoping” to play Wednesday against New Orleans; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said that’s the plan and he’s no longer on the team’s injury report.
But Butler did nothing to extinguish the firestorm that has been brewing around him for weeks, amid multiple reports from ESPN that he would welcome a trade and has a list of preferred destinations topped by Phoenix and Golden State.
Asked if he would indeed prefer to be traded, Butler said: “Does it matter? Does it matter?.. I honestly do not care about getting traded, where I’m supposed to go, who’s saying what.... All of that is out of my control anyway.”
Would he be happy and content if he’s not traded this season, in the wake of team president Pat Riley saying he won’t be traded? “I don’t know,” he said. “We will see. Only time will tell. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen come tomorrow. I appreciate the statement, but this is a business after all. I won’t have any hard feelings either way.”
Butler then was asked if it’s the best interests of both parties to stay together this season or have an amicable divorce before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know. That’s up to Pat. He will do what’s best for the organization as they should. And as long as I’m happy. And right now, I’m happy. I’m in a good space. I’ve got my kids here. I’m healthy. I’m smiling. I promise you I’m happy.”
But does he want to be here? “That’s a good question. Who knows? I don’t. Right now, I’m here and I’m going to make the most of it. I am going to compete and I’m going to win. It’s a lot of talk, a lot of noise, which I’m cool with. It doesn’t bother me at all. I love that. I thrive with it. It keeps you all wondering, the world wondering. It’s good to be talked about. Even better to be wanted.”
Speaking of the ESPN report that he prefers to be elsewhere and has preferred destinations, Butler said: “My thoughts on it are I like it. No matter what I do, somebody is always saying something. Like I’ve been doing, I will keep my mouth shut and play basketball.”
Has he and his agent Bernie Lee spoken with Riley about his future and where things stand? “Next,” he said, declining to answer only that one question.
Asked if this was all a distraction to his team, he said: “We’re used to all the outside noise. At least it’s not about anybody else. At least it’s about me. So everybody can feel free rein to go out and play free.”
Butler, who said he’s healthy enough to play at home against New Orleans on Wednesday (7:30 p.m, FanDuel Sports Sun), said he was “down for the count” with the stomach illness.
“I’m not going to lie. I had a couple people check in on me. I put my weight back on, put muscle back. I’m straight. Had [an] IV, tons of rest.”
Butler left the Heat’s loss to Oklahoma City on Dec. 20 with what appeared to be a sprained ankle, but was later identified by the Heat as a stomach illness. He missed the subsequent two games, and then missed the Heat’s entire three-game road trip last week with what the team listed as return to competitive re-conditioning.
What happened in the OKC game?
“I was pretty bad, pretty messed up,” he said. “But I wanted to compete because I actually do want to play as many games as possible. I came out, felt sluggish. I tweaked [the ankle] but that wasn’t what it was. I was out there down near starving, ready to throw up. But I feel good now. I’m straight.”
Butler has missed 10 of the Heat’s first 30 games, months after Riley implored him to be available for more games. The Heat is 5-5 in his absence this season.
According to multiple sources, Butler has grown disenchanted for several reasons, primarily the Heat’s reluctance to give him a max extension through the 2026-27 season. Barring a change of heart, he now is intending to become a free agent next summer instead of exercising his $52.8 million player option for 2025-26.
Riley said in a statement, last week, that the situation had become a distraction and that Butler would not be traded. But it’s hardly out of the question that Butler could be dealt before the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline if the team receives an appealing offer.
And if Butler leaves next summer, he likely will need the Heat’s help to execute a sign and trade unless he takes well under a max contract or unless he signs with the Brooklyn Nets, a rebuilding team that would have max cap space to sign him if they choose.
Spoelstra, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro said it was good to have Butler back.
“He looked good today,” Spoelstra said after Tuesday’s practice. “He went through it this past week; it was rough. He was back, in good spirits, had a good practice. There’s been a lot this week he’s had to deal with. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
Adebayo said: “It was good having him around, get him back acclimated and get him in the feel of being around the team again. Jimmy is always going to be ready. I feel like he will never let his body get too out of shape. I feel like he’s always prepared. Just had a great practice.”
▪ For Wednesday’s game, Josh Richardson (heel) is out and Duncan Robinson (foot) is questionable.
This story was originally published December 31, 2024 at 1:05 PM.
