By Joel Perez 
Jimmy Butler is no longer a member of the Miami Heat and is headed to the Bay Area to team
up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, forming their new big three. In return, the Miami
Heat receive Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson (Slowmo), and PJ Tucker—who makes yet
another return to Miami—along with a protected first-round pick that could prove useful down
the line, whether via trade or as an asset in the draft.
First off, congratulations to Jimmy Butler for once again pulling off the unthinkable—landing in a
winning situation and securing a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Golden State
Warriors. Butler now finds himself playing alongside the greatest shooter in NBA history while
also getting the extension he’s been seeking (at least based on speculation). He may not have
ended up in his reported preferred destination of Phoenix, but ultimately, he landed in a spot
where he can compete and get paid.
The Jimmy Butler era in Miami is officially over. And even after hearing all the reports and
experiencing the sheer amount of drama surrounding this situation, it still feels bittersweet.
Through it all, this Heat squad has remained focused, putting forth the kind of effort they showed
last night in a hard-fought win over a Joel Embiid-less Sixers team. Watching Tyler Herro shine
and earn his first All-Star appearance, seeing Bam Adebayo finally put it all together offensively,
and witnessing young guys like Niko Jovic and Kel’el Ware excel—it all feels promising. But at
the same time, it still doesn’t seem real that Jimmy Butler is no longer a “Heatle.”
From the moment he signed with Miami, he said all the right things, even talking about retiring
with the team. He was the go-to guy in two Finals appearances over his five-and-a-half
seasons, and his relentless competitiveness cemented him as one of the franchise’s all-time
greats.
Now, the Heat enter a new phase, led by Bam and Herro, alongside NBA champion Andrew
Wiggins. And let’s not overlook the fact that Wiggins played a massive role in Golden State’s
2022 championship run—he was arguably their second-best player and the best two-way force
on the floor during those Finals against Boston. While he has taken a step back since then, he’s
still averaging 17.6 points on 44% shooting from the field and 38% from three—numbers that
are solid, all things considered. Wiggins will likely start immediately for Miami, joining a lineup of
Herro, Duncan Robinson, Bam, and Kel’el Ware.
Of course, Wiggins won’t match Butler’s ability to carry a franchise to championship contention,
but he’s a strong asset for what Miami wants to do on the court. He fits the mold of the versatile,
multi-positional defenders Erik Spoelstra loves—similar to how he used Haywood Highsmith, but
Wiggins is a significant upgrade. And depending on matchups, there’s even a chance both could
be used together effectively.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I’m optimistic this team will finally find some consistency,
which has been the biggest issue this season. If Kyle Anderson sticks around past the trade
deadline, he could carve out a role. The return of PJ Tucker, on the other hand, is a bit of a head-scratcher given his age and limited minutes since leaving Miami. But according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Tucker has wanted to return ever since he left.
And then there’s the first-round pick—another asset the Heat can either use in a future trade or
hold onto for the draft. The protections around it are a bit complicated, but regardless, it gives
Miami another piece to work with.
All in all, the Heat did pretty well in this deal, especially considering how skeptical most
fans—including myself—were about getting anything of value in return.
Angel Rivera 
Joel Perez