Inside The Heat

NBA All-Star Responds To Being Linked In Jimmy Butler Trade Talks

Shandel Richardson

Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) controls the ball against Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) controls the ball against Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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The Miami Heat have been linked with NBA All-Star Bradley Beal for several years.

Beal recently responded to the rumors of the Heat trading him from the Phoenix Suns for Jimmy Butler. He downplayed the issue because he's used to it.


“The same thing until one of them comes and says something to me and talks to me," Beal said. "It’s just out there. I’m a Phoenix Sun and I’m here and I’m in a uniform, but I don’t pay attention to that, man. They did that with me for 10 years”

In the past week, Butler has been reportedly linked with various teams.

Here's the game preview for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder:

Here's the game preview:

Game time: 8 p.m., Kaseya Center, Miami


TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Betting line: Thunder -1.5

VITALS: The Heat and Thunder meet for the first of two regular season matchups. Last season, Oklahoma City won the series, 2-0, after Miami won the previous three season matchups, 6-0. The Heat are 30-42 all-time versus OKC during the regular season, including 16-20 in home games and 14-22 in road games.


PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Duncan Robinson

G Tyler Herro

C Bam Adebayo

F Jimmy Butler

F Haywood Highsmith

THUNDER

F Jalen Williams

F Luguentz Dort

C Isaiah Hartenstein

G Cason Wallace

G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

INJUY REPORT

HEAT

Pelle Larsson: Questionable - ankle

Nikola Jovic: Questionable - ankle

Josh Christopher: Out - G League

Keshad Johnson: Questionable - Two-way

Josh Richardson: Doubtful - Heel

THUNDER

Jalen Bridges: Out - G League

Ryan Dunn: Questionable - Ankle

Kevin Durant: Out - Ankle

Collin Gillespie: Out - Two-way

Jusuf Nurkic: Out: Thigh

Alex Ducas: Out - G League

Adam Flagler: Out - G League

Chet Holmgren: Out - Back

Dillon Jones: Out - G League

Nikola Topic: Out - Knee

ADVERTISING

Jaylin Williams: Out - Hamstring

QUOTABLE

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Sunday's first Coach Spo’s 5K, an event benefiting Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and the Miami Heat Charitable Fund: “This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a couple of years. It’s dear to our heart, the cause, our family. And the Miami Heat foundation has been tremendous with this.

“The staff and people that work at the Miami Children’s Hospital, they are angels, angels from above, and I can’t recommend it enough for people to go visit and just see what they’re about and see what kind of miracles are happening there. You can go there and just offer encouragement. Donations are awesome, as well.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here