Jimmy Butler's return only fuels speculation about relationship with Heat 

The first day of 2025 marked the return of Jimmy Butler for the Heat. And while his return might be awkward for some, it did happen in a Miami victory. 

On Wednesday, Miami celebrated the new year by beating the New Orleans Pelicans to the tune of 119-108. Butler did contribute, but he was far from the driving force of the victory. 

Butler, 35, a six-time All-Star, recorded nine points in 25 minutes with four rebounds and a pair of assists, though he did not play in the fourth quarter. 

It was guard Tyler Herro and center Bam Adebayo who did most of the scoring, with 32 and 23 points, respectively.  

Butler's return to the lineup on New Year's Day marked his first game since he logged seven minutes on Dec. 20. But before his early exit that night, Butler had one of his best performances of the season. He scored 35 points in 44 minutes on Dec. 16, granted in a disappointing 125-124 overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Then, the holiday week saw Butler away from the team and speculation and drama swirling about his current relationship with the Heat. 

In fact, Butler only added more fuel to the fire earlier this week with his response to a question about if he wants to stay with the Heat. 

"Does it matter? Does it matter?" Butler responded. "I honestly do not care about getting traded, where I’m supposed to go, who’s saying what."

This also marked the first time any member of the media was able to speak with Butler since a Christmas Day ESPN report suggested he desired to be traded. 

At the time of the report, ESPN's Shams Charania said Butler would prefer his possible trade destinations to include the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns, all Western Conference teams, making a deal more palatable for the Heat. 

Just a few days later, Heat president Pat Riley released a statement via the team's X account to refute any claims a trade is in the works.

"We usually don't comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear - We are not trading Jimmy Butler," said Riley to try to shut down the rumors.

Since nothing is ever off the table in the NBA, Butler back on the court could be a sign the two sides are working towards a resolution, granted, his lack of minutes late in the game lends credence to those who believe his rift with the Heat management is still beyond repair. 

With the win, the Heat are currently 17-14 and in the No. 6 position in the Eastern Conference.

At the end of the day, Butler wants to win. And most believe this all stems from his desire to capture that elusive NBA championship. Butler has led the Heat to the NBA Finals twice but failed to win either series.