The Nets’ defense made the Heat look impotent in the fourth quarter, their second-worst (net rating) of the season, after scoring nine points on 9.5% shooting. It was like a varsity squad whooping on five randoms at the park. Such a poor showing highlighted the need for reinforcements coming soon in the form of Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and Davion Mitchell.

 

After the game, Tyler Herro said, “We should’ve won,” but he and Bam Adebayo faded down the stretch. Coach Erik Spoelstra lamented how the team couldn’t accelerate past an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter before the collapse. He also said his team is inconsistent and doesn’t manage success well.

 

The Heat got smoked in the last 10 minutes on a  31-7 to close the game. Trendon Watford was the Net who caused the most damage in this stretch on four drive-bys to the rim. Keon Johnson and D’Angelo Russell added multiple field goals, and the defense blocked the Heat seven times in the period. 

 

Rookie Kel’el Ware got yanked to the bench after fewer than five fourth-quarter minutes because he was out of position on defense and slow to help.

 

Even more disconcerting: the team thought they would roll over the hosts because they were 17 games below .500 before Friday’s start. They got butchered on the glass and wasted one of their rare strong performances from Terry Rozier.

 

Adebayo said after the game the team cannot outscore opponents, but they have to play better defensively. Despite the team’s ninth-rated defense, it’s mostly smoke and mirrors as they register a pitiful 118 defensive rating against the top teams (top five seeds in the East and highest four in the West; the Heat has not played Memphis this year). Nonetheless, Adebayo attributed defensive troubles to not knowing what coverage they’re in, missed block outs and miscommunication.

 

Of course, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell’s perimeter defense will help create the stops and transition opportunities the team needs. But the ceiling is first-round at best if Adebayo and Herro don’t play like All-Stars. They must be better on offense because all those missed shots are getting the opponent out in transition like turnovers. Herro said after the game, “It also puts a lot more pressure on our defense if we’re not scoring.”

 

Furthermore, Haywood Highsmith needs to be more of a threat to score if he’s going to remain in the starting lineup. He can always set a quick screen for Adebayo and Herro, then roll with his hands up, signaling he wants the ball, or pop out on the side for a jumper. And Nikola Jović, who only snagged one rebound, must play like he’s 6’10 and not 5’7.

Andrew Wiggins now wears #22 for the Miami Heat after requesting it. This highlights how badly the relationship ended with Jimmy Butler, who wore the same digits since 2019 until the trade on Wednesday. If Butler was concerned with his number, he should’ve handled his exit with more class.

 

While Wiggins may not have the same offensive takeover ability as Butler, he is a better defender at this stage in his career and is willing to guard the other team’s best perimeter scorer. Butler took a break on that.

 

Despite the Warriors having more star power, they are older, smaller, and less athletic. In Miami, Wiggins can be a part of one of the league’s most strict defenses for the rest of the year, next to Bam Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Kel’el Ware and the newly acquired Davion Mitchell.

 

On top of that, he should fit like a glove next to Tyler Herro on offense. The latter is guarded like a first option and good on drive-and-kick plays, too. As a result, Wiggins will be the recipient of lots of cuts and open jumpers. If Adebayo continues his strong play since Jan. 27, he will be another tool to take pressure off of Wiggins, especially when facing up in the half-court or when he wants to initiate up the floor.

 

More on Adebayo’s return to All-Star form:

 

In his last five games, Adebayo’s mojo has returned, averaging 23.6 points on a 62.2 effective field goal percentage, with 10.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and four turnovers per game. In this span, most of his shots have come within 5 feet and he has made 85.7% of those. Second on the diet are the looks from 15-19 feet away and those are falling at 68.8%.

 

His foot speed on defense is as quick as ever, and with more playing time next to Ware, he can harass smaller players on the perimeter. This also lets him come in as the weak side shot blocker with Ware being the low man.

 

Butler’s introductory presser with the Warriors: 

 

General manager  Mike Dunleavy Jr. started thanking the players he cast off for he who was not content and said his team “needed to hit the ground running.”

 

Butler said, “I’m so happy to be playing basketball again, honestly. But for an organization like this one with some of the hellafied talent that we have. I will do my best to do what everybody wants and that’s to win a championship.” So far his only regret in all of this is that he can’t frequent his newly established coffee shop in Miami.

 

Halfway through the press conference, he said he didn’t have too many bad things to say about the Heat, and that they gave him an opportunity and he did his job at the highest level.

 

 But he wouldn’t answer what made him want to leave: money. He bounced around it, saying, “I don’t know. Maybe just a lot of talking back-and-forth, and sooner or later, the talking‘s gotta stop.” All the Heat did was try to hold him accountable.

 

He was later probed on how big a factor the extension was, BSing, “I’m not gonna say that was a big part… I think the biggest part was getting me able to play basketball again.”

 

By the end, Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill asked him if he felt wanted in Miami. Butler answered, “Maybe at times.”

 

In directing himself to Phoenix and the Warriors being a second option, Butler responded it was a great choice and skirted accountability because nothing had come directly from his mouth. In reality, he wanted Phoenix badly.

 

Regarding what appealed to him about playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Butler said the cliche, “That they always play winning basketball, and they’ll do whatever it takes to win.” He also added that “they can teach me a whole lot.”

 

Mr. Uncountable says he will fit right in. Green’s madness might keep him in check for a while. Another reporter doubled down on this question, and he also repeated the usual yada, yada about wanting to win a championship.

 

He was asked “where are you at mentally,” as if it matters when he quit on his former team while making $48 million. He’s doing fine because he didn’t sacrifice anything besides his reputation, which he doesn’t care about.

 

He expects to play Saturday in Chicago against his other former team. How long will it be before Butler realizes that Herro has been better than Curry this season? The Heat’s first reunion with Butler is on March 25th in Miami.

 

It likely wasn’t his intention because he was asked about former comments, but he will probably cut Heat fans further after saying, “I know that I have my joy back now…”

 

Jimmy Butler finally complained his way out of Miami and ruined his reputation with the help of his agent Bernie Lee. The latter is a bully who even went as far as verbally attacking the ESPN reporter, Shams Charania, to taint his credibility but failed.

 

Perhaps Butler will feel contrition in the future for his part in the Miami chapter’s ending. The partnership got a lot done together, but his ego is the size of Lake Okeechobee, so we’ll see.

 

His behavior let his teammates down and was reminiscent of James Harden quitting on the Nets to get out of Brooklyn.  The Heat had a good chance to be a surprise team again this year. The third star they desperately searched for emerged in Tyler Herro.  To boot, Bam Adebayo found his game as soon as Butler was exiled. How does that happen? It’s like removing the malcontent from the office; then vibes improve, and productivity increases.

 

Undoubtedly, Butler, the third-best player in franchise history behind Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, has cost himself a jersey retirement until further notice. Heat play-by-play broadcaster Eric Reid made a good point after the team’s win in Philadelphia, as the proverbial mushroom cloud was still in the air from the deal. “History and time will pass on. He will go down as one of the great players in franchise history, but it was a difficult, sad and sort of ugly ending. But it’s over now. That clarity is good for everybody.”

 

 Butler had an issue with Pat Riley telling him through the press to keep his mouth shut if he wasn’t playing. It wasn’t the wisest tactic from Riley, but that was a G rated version of the Godfather and nothing he wouldn’t say to Butler himself.  Yet, this secondary problem would have evaporated quickly if Butler got the desired extension.

 

It got ugly because it was about money, and Butler acted like the Heat didn’t do enough to put a team around him. Keep in mind, it was Butler who said at his introductory press conference, “The way that they go about everything [in Miami] is the right way,”

 

It was hyperbole, and one colossal mistake management made in his tenure was picking Precious Achiuwa in 2020 over Tyrese Maxey, Jaden McDaniels or Payton Pritchard.

 

But the team did right by him. They traded for Jae Crowder, a coveted role player at the time, and Andre Iguodala, a veteran with a few rings. They went to the Finals in that campaign.

 

The 2020-21 season was a waste mainly because the team had 72 days for an off-season after the bubble. Still, the Heat traded for Victor Oladipo, who was not close to an All-Star anymore but still a good player. He blew out his knee in his fourth game with the Heat. He never got back to what he was.

 

They signed his pal Kyle Lowry and gave him an extra year, plus got PJ Tucker for a season before he fell off. The Heat was the first seed immediately after and lost in Game 7 in Miami against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.  Then with Lowry in a lesser role, the Heat made the Finals as the first Play-In team and second eighth seed ever.

 

The Cavaliers thought their future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Love was washed, then the Heat swooped in and got him. He helped take the team to the 2023 Finals.

 

When Damian Lillard was the target, the Portland Trail Blazers refused to do business with them.  Herro and multiple first-rounders were on the table, but it wasn’t good enough.

 

Butler’s displeasure that Miami couldn’t attract the stars and keep his favorite role players -Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin- was the real smoke screen. Anyone who believed this nonsense probably thinks that Riley and his committee could’ve got a deal done for a whale by sending the scariest-looking goon to make an irrefutable offer

 

As soon as Butler was traded, he reportedly signed a two-year extension worth $121 million. He, soon-to-be 37-year-old Stephen Curry, and what’s left of Draymond Green aren’t long for the retirement community. Inconceivably, the Warriors failed to understand that declining athletes, reaching for every dollar under a crippling CBA are not team players.

 

They supplied the Heat with Andrew Wiggins, who guards the opposing team’s best perimeter player and scores 17 points per game. There are not 15 NBA players that do that so this makes the trade a home run for Miami. The multi-team deal also got them back Tucker, who was rerouted to Toronto for Davion Mitchell; Kyle Anderson and a protected first-round pick from Golden State.

 

The conclusion to the Jimmy Butler experience should have been retiring a Heatle or an amicable parting. He left the team as third in playoff points (1,583), third in assists (362), third in made free throws (441) and seventh in rebounding (433). His highest moments in black were logging a 35-point triple-double in Game 5 of the 2020 Finals and 47 digits in Boston in Game 6 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, keeping the team alive in both.

At his best, he was an inspiring overachiever. At his worst, he was joyless while making $48 million to play a kid’s game.

 

After months of speculation, the Miami Heat have officially moved on from the Jimmy Butler era, finalizing a multi-team trade that nets them Andrew Wiggins, PJ Tucker, and a top-10 protected first-round pick from Golden State. While Butler heads to the Warriors, Miami gains crucial assets that strengthen their roster now and provide flexibility moving forward.

Wiggins and the First-Round Pick: A Win for Miami

The centerpiece of the trade for the Heat is Andrew Wiggins, a versatile two-way wing who fills a critical need. Wiggins, averaging 17.6 points per game and shooting 37.9% from three, brings a scoring boost while maintaining defensive prowess. His ability to guard multiple positions makes him a valuable addition to Erik Spoelstra’s system, offering stability in Miami’s wing rotation. Having played a key role in Golden State’s championship run in 2022, Wiggins brings playoff experience that will be invaluable as Miami gears up for the postseason.

Additionally, the Heat acquiring a top-10 protected first-round pick this year is a significant asset. If the Warriors miss the playoffs, Miami will have two first-round picks in 2025. If Golden State makes the postseason, Miami will instead have one first-round pick in 2025 and another in 2026. This flexibility allows the Heat to either build through the draft or leverage picks for future trades. Given Miami’s track record of maximizing talent development, the additional pick could prove to be a valuable long-term investment.

PJ Tucker Returns to Miami, Adds Depth, Expiring Contract Provides Flexibility

Another important piece in this trade is PJ Tucker, who is making his return to Miami. A veteran known for his defensive toughness and leadership, Tucker was a key part of the Heat’s 2022 playoff run and now reclaims his role as a versatile defender. Though his scoring output is limited, Tucker’s experience in high-stakes playoff games and defensive versatility make him a valuable depth piece. His ability to defend elite forwards and switch onto multiple positions adds to Miami’s defensive versatility. Additionally, Tucker’s championship experience with Milwaukee in 2021 provides another steady veteran presence in Miami’s locker room, reinforcing the Heat’s commitment to grit and toughness.

Tucker’s expiring contract also ensures that Miami retains financial flexibility heading into the offseason. By not committing to long-term salary, the Heat can keep their options open for further roster adjustments while still benefiting from Tucker’s presence in the short term.

Jimmy Butler’s Return to Miami Set for March 25

Jimmy Butler’s departure to Golden State marks the end of an era for the Heat, but fans won’t have to wait long to see him back in Miami. Butler is set to return to face the Heat on March 25, in what will surely be an emotional and highly anticipated matchup. While Butler was an instrumental part of Miami’s success, his departure allows the team to move forward with a more cohesive, drama-free roster.

Additionally, Butler has secured a two-year, $111 million extension with the Warriors, solidifying his future in Golden State. The Heat, meanwhile, have reloaded their roster with valuable assets, maintaining both competitiveness and flexibility.

Are the Heat Done Dealing?

With this trade, Miami improves its roster without giving up significant long-term flexibility. However, this might not be the final move. With additional picks and tradable contracts on hand, the Heat could still explore further upgrades as the trade deadline approaches. Pat Riley and the front office have positioned the team to make another significant move should the right opportunity present itself.

The Heat also now boast strong roster depth, allowing them to better navigate injuries and fatigue down the stretch of the season. With Wiggins slotting into a key role, Tucker providing toughness, and an extra first-round pick in hand, Miami has reshaped its present while securing flexibility for the future.

This deal signals a fresh start, giving Miami a competitive roster while keeping future possibilities open. Heat fans can now look forward to a new chapter—one that isn’t weighed down by off-court drama but instead fueled by depth, versatility, and a clear path forward.