Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors: Heat ‘Pull Plug’ On Deal For Timberwolves Star

Jimmy Butler’s wish apparently won’t come true after all.

Miami Heat president Pat Riley told the team’s players Thursday he was “pulling the plug” on a potential trade for the Minnesota Timberwolves swingman, according to The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman. Rumors linking Butler to the Heat have swirled for weeks, and Riley addressed the speculation with his players prior to their season-opening win over the Washington Wizards,

The Heat reportedly are Butlers’ preferred trade destination, but reports suggest Miami has struggled to land him because of the Timberwolves’ steep and ever-shifting asking price. Nevertheless Heat players like Josh Richardson and Dion Waiters might have become unsettled after seeing their names included in trade rumors.

With Miami seemingly out of the running for a potential trade, Butler appears set to remain with the Timberwolves under terms of their shaky truce for the foreseeable future.