Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has been mixed up in all kinds of trade rumors and the fans are still split on which ones might be true. Today, however, Butler fed the flames of speculation when he showed up sporting orange-colored hair.
The new color is no doubt Butler’s way of responding to the recent report of his “interest” in the Phoenix Suns. The NBA legend has always had a unique and unconventional relationship with the media and he likes to troll them on occasion whenever he has the opportunity.
Famously, during NBA media day in 2022 and 2023, Jimmy rocked wild hairstyles to mess with the press and steal the show for the whole event. This year, Butler decided to be a bit more subtle with his approach by dying his hair and feeding into the rumors.
Over the past few games this season, the NBA veteran has already changed his hair color several times to match every team that he’s been connected to in trade talks. So far, he’s used blonde (Golden State Warriors), blue (Dallas Mavericks), and red (Houston Rockets) until the latest color, orange, to represent the Phoenix Suns.
Since 2019, Butler has been a core member of the Heat with averages of 21.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 49.8% shooting. He’s carried the franchise to two Finals appearances since 2020 and has become a fan favorite in the city.
Butler has not only embraced the “Heat culture,” he has become its mascot with maximum effort and competitiveness every single game. His discipline, work ethic, and consistency have made him the perfect fit with the Heat and it’s no wonder why he’s found so much success with the franchise.
But in the aftermath of several failed seasons, the word on the street is that Pat Riley may be looking to trade Butler to initiate a rebuild and start the team from scratch. Many teams have been revealed as potential suitors but no trade is imminent for Butler at the moment, who has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
As one of the league’s premier two-way wing players, Jimmy is the kind of star who would attract a wave of interest on the trade market but we just don’t know how close the Heat are to giving him up.
At 12-10 this season, the Heat are 5th in the East and they wouldn’t have to worry about the play-in tournament if the postseason began today. So with a few more weeks before the trade deadline, the Heat are certainly in no rush to send out their franchise star — but it may be a necessary step to go up to the next level.
As for Butler, he has made it quite obvious how little stock he puts into the trade rumors. As a seasoned NBA veteran, Jimmy has seen it all and he’s unphased by the current rumblings out of Miami.
Tonight, Butler is all about business as he looks to defend homecourt against the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 PM EST. The team will have a few nights off before facing the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 PM EST. Finally, on December 20th, at 8:00 PM EST, the Heat will play the Oklahoma City Thunder at Kaseya Center for a critical East vs. West matchup.
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