Depending on how you process any recent Heat news, that latter point feels correct, given some of Butler’s relationships with players on Miami’s roster. That is especially true of younger contributors who have grown to see Butler as a mentor no matter his team-related drama or level of candor.

With Jimmy Butler in the midst of his third unpaid Miami Heat team suspension, this one a five-game sanction that runs through the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the sense around the team is of being closer to impending closure than any other point during the process.

The Jimmy Butler trade saga is starting to heat up as the Feb. 6 trade deadline draws near. The veteran forward was recently handed an indefinite suspension by the Miami Heat, which could ease the way to him being traded in the coming days.