The Miami Heat have been dealing with the trade drama of star Jimmy Butler for a long time now but so far, nothing has materialized. It seems as if the team will move on from Butler before the trade deadline expires but things are a little complicated.

Failing to trade Butler before the deadline would be a disaster for the Heat. It's doubtful he will return to Erik Spoelstra's rotation this season, and even if he did, he would be nothing more than a distraction to his teammates. Furthermore, the Heat would be resigned to losing their star player in the summer, with nothing coming back in return.

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.