Jimmy Butler's absence from Miami Heat President Pat Riley's annual Christmas party has sparked a wave of rumors among fans and analysts.

Despite not playing on Christmas Day, the Miami Heat were among the hottest topics. An ESPN report surfaced before the first game of Butler preferring a trade before the deadline than waiting until the offseason.

Jimmy Butler reportedly wants out of Miami, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania in a Christmas Day report. There is some delicate phrasing in Charania’s story, saying that Butler has not ‘formally requested’ a trade,