Former NBA star Paul Pierce shared some interesting intel regarding the Miami Heat and superstar Jimmy Butler on the Dan Le Batard Show.
“I don’t know, man,” Pierce said. “It seems like everything is – the sky has fallen in Miami.”
Pierce was then asked by Le Batard to elaborate, asking if he has any “credible sources” telling him that things aren’t going well with the Heat.
“I know the streets when the streets be talkin’,” Pierce said. “And I know – word on the streets is that things ain’t too sunny down there in Miami.”
Pierce continued.
“I am in the news-making business, and I’m not sure that Jimmy is going to be there at the end of the year,” he said.
The Heat are off to a slow start in the 2024-25 season, going just 9-10 through 19 games after losing to the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
Butler did not play in that game, and he’s appeared in just 14 of Miami’s games this season. Butler is averaging 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
There’s a chance that Butler could leave the Heat in the offseason, as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season that he could opt out of following the conclusion of this season.
That puts Miami in a precarious position this season, as it may need to trade Butler at the trade deadline to get any value for him if he does intend on leaving. Still, there’s a chance the Heat keep Butler for the long haul as well.
Right now, Miami is the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, and it hasn’t played like an NBA title contender this season. The Heat are just 15th in the NBA in net rating and 20th in offensive rating through their first 19 games.
There’s still multiple months before the NBA’s trade deadline this season, so the Heat have some time to decide whether or not they want to move Butler. It was reported earlier this week that the New York Knicks were interested in dealing for Butler during the offseason, but they ultimately ended up trading for Mikal Bridges.
It’ll be interesting to see if a trade market develops for Butler during the 2024-25 season.