Jimmy Butler reiterates trade demand in face-to-face meeting with Heats Pat Riley

Jimmy Butler is upping his efforts to get out of Miami. The Heat superstar met with team president Pat Riley face-to-face last week to reiterate his desire to be traded away from the franchise, according to a report from ESPN. The six-time NBA All-Star told Riley that he won’t sign an extension with the team and that he plans “to use his $52 million player option for 2025-26 in the offseason only as a trade maneuver,” per the World Wide Leader. The meeting is the latest chapter in what has become a drawn-out saga between Butler and the Heat after five-plus seasons and two NBA Finals appearances together. Butler, 35, told the franchise earlier this month that he wanted out of South Beach after weeks of trade rumors. He is currently serving a seven-game suspension “for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team” this season. Last week, Butler seemed to shade Heat brass when talking up an employee at his BigFace Coffee brick-and-mortar location in the Miami Design District, saying “This is our best guy right here.See that? I gave you a compliment.

That’s what bosses do. We build you up, we don’t break you down,” while holding a thumbs up.Butler is no stranger to ugly breakups with previous drama-filled exits in Chicago, Minnesota and Philadelphia. In 22 games this season, his 14th in the NBA, Butler is averaging 17.6 points per game on 55.2 percent shooting with 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest. Regarded as a legendary playoff performer, Butler has been limited by injuries and load management in the regular season in recent years, playing in more than 60 games just once during his time in Miami. The Heat are sitting at 20-18, which is tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference heading into Tuesday’s play. ...