Miami Heat rising star Tyler Herro was in no mood to talk about the trade rumors swirling around their franchise cornerstone Jimmy Butler.
“I got to check my phone still this morning,” Herro said, per Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman. “I don’t know what was said. The vibes felt good in here today, so I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
On Tuesday, December 10, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Heat are open to trading away Butler, the six-time NBA All-Star who led them to two NBA Finals appearances.
“The Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right, league sources told ESPN, and Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that Butler is open to destinations such as two of the Texas teams (Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks) and the Golden State Warriors. Butler is a native of Houston, Texas,” Charania wrote.
Herro, understandably, is not keen on talking about a rumor that could potentially wedge a divide in their locker room.
Not after they have just beaten the NBA’s top team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, 122-113 just two days ago. And not after he was just named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
The Heat are riding high on a three-game win streak to get inside the top five of the East with a 12-10 record.
As Herro emerges as the team’s alpha in scoring, averaging 24.2 points per game, the Butler talks have inevitably arrived after the 35-year-old star did not receive a contract extension this offseason.
Heat Driving Up Jimmy Butler Trade Cost
While the timing of the Butler trade rumor is off based on the Heat’s performance as of late, it is just right in time for one of the major dates in the NBA’s trade calendar.
December 15, when most players signed in the offseason become trade-eligible, is just around the corner.
Charania’s report only signals the Heat are driving up the Butler trade cost and trying to create a bidding war to squeeze the maximum value for a star who might just be a half-year rental.
Butler has a $52.4 million player option for next season, which he is not inclined to pick up, Charania added, thus, he would become an unrestricted free agent.
How Did Jimmy Butler, Heat Arrive Here?
On October 8, Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh predicted on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” that the inevitable trade talks surrounding Butler would arrive sooner rather than later.
“Jimmy Butler is one of those larger-than-life personalities that can be great … [and then] gets really tiring, and people start to tune him out. He is a dude that is going to walk into every locker room, and you’re going to feel him every single time.
“And so I think when you talk about Jimmy Butler and what the Miami Heat could get for him, I do think that you might have this, get this game of chicken between Jimmy Butler and [team president] Pat Riley, two of the most proud personalities, large personalities. … I do feel like Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler, if they’re not right, it’s gonna be ugly fast.”
Butler’s larger-than-life personality was on full display when he talked smack about the eventual champion Boston Celtics and their arch-rival, the New York Knicks, during the 2024 playoffs.
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home. New York damn sure would be [expletive] at home,” Butler said on May 4.
Jimmy Butler’s Good Soldier Approach
Two days later, on May 6, Heat president Pat Riley admonished Butler during his end-of-season press conference.
“For him to say that, I thought, is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy [being] serious?” Riley told reporters. “If you’re not on the court, playing against Boston, or you’re not on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut in your criticism of those teams.”
Butler responded like a good soldier.
He went into the team’s media day with a serious outlook, a stark contrast to the previous seasons when he showed up with dreadlocks in 2022 and a rock star emo look in 2023.
“No shenanigans,” Butler told reporters.
“I always want to hoop, always want to compete with my guys,” Butler added. “I hear [Riley].
Butler has been hooping since then.
While he is averaging only 19 points, his lowest scoring average since the Heat acquired him in 2019, his efficiency has shot up.
Butler is shooting a career-best 55.7% from the field in his fewest attempts since 2013-14 (11.3). On top of that, he’s also averaging 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, perhaps showing his potential next team he’s still a winning player.
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