ORLANDO, Fla. >> If Jimmy Butler wants a trade, the Miami Heat have no plans to make him happy.

Heat President Pat Riley — in a rare move — spoke out to address rumors Thursday, saying the team has no plans to trade Butler. It’s a clear sign that, if necessary, the team will be willing to let Butler leave as a free agent and get nothing in return.

“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,” Riley said in a release distributed by the team. “Therefore, we will make it clear — we are not trading Jimmy Butler.”

The Heat played in Orlando on Thursday. Butler did not fly with the team to Orlando on Wednesday night, and his intentions for future games seem a bit unclear as well.

Butler has not asked the Heat for a trade, but ESPN, citing sources it did not name, reported Wednesday that the six-time All-Star wants a trade by the league’s Feb. 6 deadline and is open to joining teams such as Phoenix, Golden State, Houston and Dallas.

Christmas Day ratings skyrocket >> The NBA got viewers for Christmas, even while going up against NFL games.

The NBA’s five-game Christmas lineup was the league’s most-watched in five years, with the games averaging about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and its platforms, the league said based on Nielsen’s preliminary numbers.

It’s an 84% rise over the NBA’s Christmas numbers from 2023.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors — a game pitting Olympic teammates LeBron James and Stephen Curry — averaged 7.76 million viewers and peaked with about 8.32 million viewers toward the end of the contest, the league said.

College basketball

Larrañaga steps down at Miami, Courtney takes over to finish season >> Jim Larrañaga is stepping down as Miami’s men’s basketball coach effective immediately. He will be replaced by associate head coach Bill Courtney — one of his best friends for the past three decades — for the remainder of the season.

Larrañaga joins a long line of prominent college basketball coaches who have left their jobs in recent years citing the changes in the game and the challenge of coaching in the Name, Image and Likeness era of college sports.

College football

Gleason, Toledo beats Pitt in bowl-record 6 overtimes >> Tucker Gleason ran for one overtime score and threw for four more as Toledo beat Pittsburgh 48-46 in a bowl-record six overtimes at the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field.

The game surpassed the previous mark set 48 hours earlier when South Florida beat San Jose State 41-39 in five overtimes in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday.

Pitt freshman Julian Dugger, making his college debut, ran for two overtime scores and threw for two more, but his incomplete pass in the sixth overtime ended the game.

Pro football

Lions sign Bridgewater >> The Detroit Lions are bringing back Teddy Bridgewater to give the team a veteran backup quarterback for their playoff run.

Coach Dan Campbell said that the team signed Bridgewater as another backup with second-year player Hendon Hooker behind starter Jared Goff. The Lions have clinched a playoff spot and can earn the top seed in the NFC with two more wins.

Bridgewater was the backup in Detroit for the 2023 season when he got on the field for three snaps at the end of a blowout win over Carolina.

Bridgewater spent the fall coaching at his high school alma mater, leading Miami Northwestern High to the Florida Class 3A state title.