Erik Spoelstra Addresses Heat Playing Through Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors

The Heat play Thursday for the first time since the Jimmy Butler trade rumors escalated.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat will take the court Thursday for the first time since ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Heat are willing to listen to trade offers for superstar Jimmy Butler.

The Heat are in the midst of a three-game win streak, their latest triumph being a 122–113 win over the 21-4 Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, moving Miami to 12-10 overall on the season. Two days later, the Butler trade speculation began.

"This is this profession," Heat coach Eric Spoelstra told reporters Thursday. "Can't get sick at sea over some narratives that are going out there. That's going to happen to every organization at some point during the season. We're trying to build on something. We've played three solid games, but we're still not anywhere where we want to be."

Erik Spoelstra playing around Jimmy Butler trade rumor noise: This is this profession. Can't get sick at sea over some narratives that are going out there. That's going to happen to every organization at some point during the season. #heatnation pic.twitter.com/1EGTtxXLvE

— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) December 12, 2024

Charania reported Tuesday that Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, said that Butler was interested in getting traded to the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks as he looks to play for a contender.

The noise picked up when Lee lambasted Charania in a series of tweets as he called Charania's reports "fabricated."

"I gave you a pass yesterday because I was busy but if you don’t stop putting my name on your complete and utter made up bull---t because you know you normally aren't worth my time to acknowledge," Lee wrote.

Charania has since defended his reports. And Spoelstra previously downplayed any distraction these reports could cause within the team earlier this week.

"It's been our best, most consistent stretch of the season," Spoelstra said, perIra Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "So anything else, any other narrative, I don't care. Nobody should, because most of this stuff has just been all like a bunch of gibberish."

Spoelstra and the Heat can show these rumors have not affected them if they come away with a win against the Toronto Raptors.

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