Sports

Jimmy Butler, Heat seem destined to part: Assessing the potential trade market

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2024

Jimmy Butler, Heat seem destined to part: Assessing the potential trade market

All of the people involved in this Jimmy Butler business are prideful, and justifiably so.

Pat Riley has been on — either as a player, assistant coach, head coach or top executive — nine NBA championship teams. And teams of which he has been a part have made 19 NBA finals. There have been only 78 finals in league history. That means Riles’ teams have been in a quarter of ’em. Almost three decades after he came to Miami, his Heat organization remains, as he is, relentless and obsessed with winning, led by a coach in Erik Spoelstra whose tough love brand earns nothing but respect and accolades from players around the league.

Butler has earned everything he’s gotten in the NBA, coming from Tomball, Texas, to become one of the game’s great clutch players, a postseason force unlike most who have ever laced ’em up. To mix sports metaphors, Jimmy Butler rakes in the playoffs. And if the Heat, who seem to have stabilized themselves after a rough start, make another postseason, a healthy Jimmy Butler would likely rake, again.

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But, the way things are headed, the player and the team seem destined to part ways. Maybe amicably, which is what mom and dad say when they go Splitsville, so as not to upset the kids. But divorced, nonetheless. Whether it comes during the season or next summer, with the 35-year-old Butler holding a player option at $52 million for the 2025-26 season, we seem to be moving toward that inevitability, with the backdrop of last season, when both sides seemed to be chafing one another, still fresh in the mind.

Unless … the Heat come to the table with the two-year, $113 million extension Butler has wanted for the last year. Which is not likely.

At the very least, the Heat are indeed seriously listening for the first time to trade offers for Butler, league sources said. Nothing has approached a serious offer yet, but even being willing to listen marks a change in where the team was when Butler almost willed them to a championship in 2023, before Miami was overwhelmed by Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets in five games.

But Miami’s sober about its current state.

In 2023, Miami was a Play-In team that got hot at just the right time. Last season, it was … a Play-In team, that got smoked by Boston in the first round, with Butler sidelined by a sprained knee. This season, the Heat seems to have found something with Butler and Haywood Highsmith flanking Bam Adebayo in the back of Miami’s defense. But no one thinks Miami is on Boston’s level right now. And the whole point of Patrick James Riley’s professional life is to compete for championships, not the eight seed.

So if moving Butler brings back players that give Miami more of a shot, the Heat will engage. That likely means taking back players, rather than a deal featuring a bunch of future picks. Riles doesn’t do rebuilds. (Plus, he’s going to be 80 in March.)

They’re not there yet. But, they’re listening.

Butler is listening, too. He hasn’t asked to be traded from Miami, but if he stays, he wants the max.

He took to heart Riley’s admonitions after the Boston series, when he called Butler out for an appearance on a podcast in which he said if he’d been healthy, Miami would have beaten either the Celtics or New York in a first-round series.

“If you’re not on the court playing against Boston, or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut, in your criticism of those teams,” Riley fired back.

So, Butler came to camp in even better shape than usual, and is averaging nearly 32 minutes per game, though he missed four games early in the season with ankle issues. He’s shooting 55 percent from the floor in 18 games, which would be a career best if it held up all season. He’s still drawing fouls, taking more than seven free throws per game. He believes he’s proving his worth on the court, and is setting himself up to play next season for big dollars. Could be Miami; could be elsewhere. It’s not that he’s ambivalent; all things being equal, he’d prefer to stay.

But … see above. And he does get that Miami has to find out what it could get for him, and that it could go either way.

Along those lines, don’t discount the possibility that Miami is not just trying to gauge the trade market for Butler, but also what it would cost to bring him back if/when he opts out.

No one other than Brooklyn would have the cap space to take Butler in via that route next summer. That’s not a likely destination for Butler, who wants to play for rings. So Miami’s play, if it wants to make a deal, would be the sign-and-trade route. Finding out what Butler’s market is now will also help the Heat determine whether to offer him, say, a free agent deal more like what the LA Clippers gave James Harden (two years, $70 million), rather than what the Philadelphia 76ers wound up giving Paul George (four years, $212 million).

Just how deep is a potential trade market for Butler? One could certainly form by the trade deadline as teams get more desperate to add a difference-maker for the stretch run. This is especially true out West, where Denver and Minnesota are flailing to regain their old form, whether because of injuries to key players (the Nuggets) or just a kind of malaise that has settled over the team (the Timberwolves). New Orleans, flat on its back at 5-21, certainly has to reassess its roster, and exactly whom it can put around Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray going forward.

But the realities of the second apron, and the massive penalties it triggers for teams that exceed it, make a blockbuster deal for someone of Butler’s talent, age and price tag incredibly difficult to pull off.

Minnesota’s already gone blockbuster this year with the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, and is still trying to figure out how Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo fit best in the Wolves’ rotation. As our Sam Amick detailed Friday, the surging Rockets, heading to the NBA Cup semifinals this weekend in Las Vegas on the strength of an already-formidable defense, are a long shot to get into the Butler Sweepstakes.

Golden State has been linked to Butler, but Miami would have to think an Andrew Wiggins-based package, which would also likely have to include the now-out-for-the-season De’Anthony Melton, gets them closer to games in June than standing pat (no pun intended) with Jimmy Buckets. That’s a doubtful premise.

Dallas is turning the ball over too much right now to be comfortable, but the Mavericks are still a top-four team in the West, and are top 10 in defensive rating. They also have multiple alphas capable of taking over games offensively — Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving — with a third in Klay Thompson who’s no stranger to postseason heroics. So they don’t necessarily need another scorer, though they struggled mightily at times during the finals series with Boston last June to put the ball in the basket consistently. (And, as Spotrac’s Kevin Smith notes, acquiring Butler would require the Mavs to jump through considerable second-apron hoops to fill out their roster afterward, needing to send multiple players/contracts to the Heat just to make a Butler deal work.)

New Orleans wants to move Brandon Ingram, to be sure. But you wouldn’t trade for Butler if you weren’t going to keep him, which means the Pelicans would have to come correct with an extension. And that would make the Pels, whose four-year, $112 million extension for Trey Murphy III kicks in next year, really, really expensive. They aren’t interested in being really, really expensive.

Phoenix has been bandied as a potential destination, as well. And, sure, the Suns are in win-yesterday mode. Having Butler on the floor with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker would make Phoenix that much more formidable, and Mike Budenholzer certainly could figure out ways to employ Butler’s defensive chops to maximum impact at the other end.

But a trade between Miami and the Suns would have to involve Bradley Beal waiving his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal, allowing Phoenix to make a relatively clean swap with Miami for Butler. As Beal chose the Suns over the Heat in the first place in 2023, when the Wizards had the framework of a deal in place with Miami to send him there, it’s hard to see him now wanting to go the other way, even if the Eastern Conference is decidedly less treacherous to navigate than the Western Conference. Beal chose Phoenix over Miami, in part, because it was much closer to his wife’s extended family in California.

Sacramento is certainly underachieving, at .500 through 26 games and currently out of the Play-In round. But even if interested, the Kings would have to know that they could re-sign Butler next summer. With the Kings already at the first apron hard cap, going further to keep Butler, while De’Aaron Fox creeps ever closer to unrestricted free agency, would seem to be a non-starter.

Pride goeth before a fall, it says in Proverbs. The best solution for Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley and the Miami Heat might just be for everyone to swallow their collective pride, make a deal everyone can live with, and play it out on South Beach.

(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

Sports

US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship

Published

7 hours ago

January 11, 2026

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US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship

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U.S. figure skating stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history on Saturday with their record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title in their final competition before the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The three-time reigning world champions, performing a flamenco-style dance to a version of the Rolling Stones hit “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi Western show “Westworld,” produced a season-best free skate and finished with 228.87 points.

“The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,” Chock said.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of United States perform during ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Boston, at TD Garden, on March 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

They’ll be the heavy favorites to win gold next month in Italy.

“I felt so much love and joy,” Chock continued, “and I’m so grateful for this moment.”

U.S. Figure Skating will announce its selections on Sunday.

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik were second with 213.65 points and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were third with 206.95, making those two pairs the likely choices to join Chock and Bates on the American squad for the upcoming Winter Games.

The men’s medals also were to be decided on Saturday, though two-time world champion Ilia Malinin had built such a lead after his short program that the self-styled “Quad God” would have to stumble mightily to miss out on a fourth consecutive title.

The U.S. also has qualified the maximum of three men’s spots for the Winter Games, and competition is tight between second-place Tomoko Hiwatashi, fan favorite Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov to round out the nationals podium.

The last time Chock and Bates competed in the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, they watched their gold initially go to an opponent who was later disqualified for doping violations.

Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.

It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.

UN URGES COUNTRIES TO HONOR TRUCE DURING WINTER OLYMPICS, NOT DENY VISAS TO ANY NATION’S ATHLETES

Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in championship ice dance at the U.S. figure skating championships Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.

Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.

“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”

Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”

Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics last summer.

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Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA perform in the Gala Exhibition during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Nagoya at IG Arena on December 07, 2025 in Nagoya, Japan. (Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

Chock, Bates and teammates Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou were given a specialized gold medal ceremony to receive the medals in front of more than 13,000 fans.

Chock and Bates became the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly three decades in March when they defeated Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Sports

Eric Dailey Jr. and Trent Perry power UCLA to victory over Maryland

Published

8 hours ago

January 11, 2026

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Eric Dailey Jr. and Trent Perry power UCLA to victory over Maryland

Dave Roberts tossed T-shirts to fans. The students were back out in bunches. UCLA traded in its recent first-half troubles for a big lead.

It was sort of fun to be a Bruin again Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

On an evening the team honored Roberts, the Dodgers manager and former Bruins outfielder who triumphantly hoisted the World Series trophy over his head during a timeout as fans roared, it was possible to forget about UCLA’s troubles for a few hours.

The Bruins’ 67-55 victory over Maryland was a needed reprieve for a team aching over its defense, not to mention a two-game losing streak that was comfortably snapped despite the Terrapins grabbing one offensive rebound after another.

Maryland (7-9, 0-5) finished with an absurd 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 24 second-chance points, and it still wasn’t enough to make the final minutes a worry for UCLA (11-5, 3-2) after a 6-0 push put the game away.

Forward Eric Dailey Jr. ensured that things didn’t go awry for the Bruins, nearly logging a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Trent Perry (16 points, six rebounds) hit a clutch corner three-pointer with a little less than six minutes left after Maryland had closed to within five points.

Maryland’s inability to make baskets — the Terrapins shot 30.3% overall and 18.2% from three-point range — was forced in part by some active defense, notably from UCLA’s Steven Jamerson II. The backup center had perhaps his best across-the-board showing as a Bruin, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 22 minutes.

UCLA guard Trent Perry, left, collides with Maryland guard Andre Mills while battling for a defensive rebound in the first half Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

His top highlight came on an offensive rebound he snagged while falling out of bounds and saved by flinging a pass to Perry for a three-pointer. UCLA would have won with even greater ease had it not made just 18 of 27 free throws (67%).

There were moments it was easy to forget the Bruins were playing without guard Skyy Clark (hamstring) and forward Brandon Williams (lower-leg injury). Both players are considered day to day, meaning they could return soon.

Maryland could relate to being shorthanded. The Terrapins were missing star center Pharrel Payne, who remained sidelined because of a knee injury. Forward Elijah Saunders led Maryland with 17 points.

It wasn’t nearly enough given the Bruins looked a bit more like the team they need to be.

Sports

Falcons hire franchise legend Matt Ryan to major front office role

Published

19 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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Falcons hire franchise legend Matt Ryan to major front office role

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The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the team’s greatest players to its front office.

The Falcons announced on Saturday that former quarterback Matt Ryan, who spent the first 14 years of his 15-year NFL career with the team after being drafted third overall in 2008, will be president of football on Saturday. The 40-year-old Ryan, who holds team records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, will assume the new role immediately.

Ryan will report directly to owner Arthur Blank and collaborate with president and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure the alignment of the business and football areas of the organization.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before he is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Blank said in a statement.

“I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”

The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but Blank had other plans.

AARON RODGERS TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT JETS AHEAD OF STEELERS’ PLAYOFF GAME

CBS Sports broadcaster Matt Ryan before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday. Ryan will be fully involved in the team’s search for the Falcons’ next head coach and general manager.

“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement.

“While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”

Ryan has spent the last three seasons as a member of the CBS Sports team as an analyst.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)

“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports. I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life,” Ryan said in a statement.

Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College, played with the Falcons for 14 seasons and holds many franchise records, including passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73).

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.