🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Miami, FL
Jimmy Butler reportedly tells Miami Heat he wants a trade
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be.”
With that postgame comment Thursday, Miami’s Jimmy Butler all but confirmed a report that he has asked the Heat for a trade, a story broken by Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has indicated to the Miami Heat he wants the team to trade him, league sources told ESPN. Butler does not plan to furnish the Heat with a list of favored destinations, sources told ESPN. He is open to playing anywhere other than Miami and believes he can make any team a contender — no matter where he is moved. He does plan to take part in all team activities and do whatever the Heat ask of him during this process, sources said.
Butler’s postgame comments echoed that sentiment.
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon,” Butler said. “I’m happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop and I want to help this team win, and right now I’m not doing it.”
When asked if he can get his joy back on the court with the Heat, Butler responded: “Probably not.”
Butler trade rumors have been flying around the NBA since he didn’t get a contract extension with the Heat last summer (while Bam Adebayo did at three years, $165.8 million). The rumors reached the point that Heat President Pat Riley tried to squash them.
Statement from Pat Riley
“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.”
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 26, 2024
That did not stop the speculation, although the vibe among league executives at the NBA’s G-League Showcase last month was that it might be summer before Butler was traded, just because a deal that would satisfy Miami is hard to construct. Because Miami is already over the first apron of the luxury tax, it is not allowed to take back $1 more in a trade than it sends out — and most of the teams interested in Butler are in the same situation. Any Butler trade likely involves the Detroit Pistons as a third team, the one team with cap space heading into the trade deadline, meaning they can take on a mid-level exception-sized contract to facilitate a trade.
It’s still not easy to make work. Phoenix is known to have an interest in Butler, but the only way to make that trade work is to send Bradley Beal to Miami. Beal has two years and $100.8 million left on his contract after this season. Do the Heat want to take on a player not as good as Butler right now making that kind of money? The Warriors are known to have interest as they search for a star to put next to Stephen Curry, but the only way to make a Miami/Golden State trade work is a four-or-five-for-one trade with the Warriors such as the Warriors sending out Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Kyle Anderson (there likely would be draft picks in mix, also). How high are the Heat on Kuminga, and do they want to have to let go of players on their roster to make this deal work?
Butler’s people saying they are open to a trade to any team tries to open the door to other teams. However, whoever trades for Butler will have to re-sign him or extend him — Butler has a $52.4 million player option and could theoretically walk away from that money and be a free agent (the more likely scenario is he opts into that final year and gets a two-year extension off that, maybe at a lower number than he has been making).
Butler, 35, is still a force on the court most nights, averaging 18 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game this season. He is known as a two-way playoff performer who can help a lot of teams, but how many teams want to get into the Jimmy Butler business for multiple years?
We’re going to find out now that Butler and his camp have tried to crank up the pressure to get a trade done. However, Miami will not settle. Some team is going to have to step up with a quality offer to get a deal done, this is no fire sale.
Miami, FL
Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun
If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.
RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pizza in Miami
The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.
What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.
Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.
Miami, FL
Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.
“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.
Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.
They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.
According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.
Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.
“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”
Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Miami, FL
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