Miami Heat Hot Topics: Jimmy Butler, Kawhi fallout, Westbrook trade?

In this week’s installment of Miami Heat Hot Topics, we run down the gamut of the incredible free agency period that we’ve seen so far.

In our ongoing Miami Heat Hot Topics series, keeping you up to date on the news and happenings around the Miami Heat, we have a mega-installment. So much has happened in the NBA and with the Heat in the past week as the entire league has been thrown into a state of upheaval.

From a late-night trade bringing Jimmy Butler to Miami that was off again and on again, to an even later-night blockbuster of a deal that brought Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, and now the Heat in rumors to be in contention to trade for Russell Westbrook, we’ll run down the insane week that was.

Without further ado, here is what we’ve been saying about the Miami Heat on All U Can Heat.

Heat sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler:

It kicked off a circus of reports throughout the first night of free agency and the rest of the week. First Butler was traded to the Heat for Josh Richardson and Goran Dragic was headed to the Dallas Mavericks, but the Mavs backed out of that deal thinking they were getting Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones Jr. instead. Yeah, they sound alike on the phone, we know.

As the week went on, the deal finally got ironed out, thanks to another big trade sending Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers for Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard, then sending Harkless and a draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers to consummate the deal.

Bradley Beal a trade possibility for the Heat?

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald among others, the Miami Heat have inquired with the Washington Wizards about the possibility of trading for Bradley Beal. This would likely involve picking up John Wall‘s monstrous albatross of a contract. Needless to say, a trade for that duo would be a painful one, but would it be worth it anyway?

What the Whiteside trade means for Bam Adebayo:

With Hassan Whiteside gone, Bam Adebayo is the clear starter at center next season. Our Kenneth Wilson took a look at how Whiteside’s absence can impact Adebayo as he goes into year two as the starting center for the Miami Heat.

An early look at the Heat depth chart for next season:

The whole rotation for the Miami Heat has been changed, with Jimmy Butler in, Hassan Whiteside out and Meyers Leonard in, to say nothing of the presence of first-round draft pick Tyler Herro. We took an early look at the Heat depth chart now that Goran Dragic is likely to be on the team next season and Ryan Anderson has been stretched and waived.

Huge implications of Kawhi Leonard going to the Los Angeles Clippers:

Kawhi Leonard’s move to the Los Angeles Clippers threw the entire NBA into a state of upheaval. He recruited Paul George to join him, and that’s destabilized Russell Westbrook’s once seemingly cozy marriage with the Oklahoma City Thunder. We live in a whole new world as a result of Kawhi Leonard’s decision, and things could get even crazier very soon.

Two deals the Heat can execute for Russell Westbrook:

Now that Westbrook may be on the lookout for a new home, the Miami Heat are among the teams rumored to be aggressively courting his services. Our Rahmeaun Rahming broke down two different trade possibilities that might serve the purposes of both the Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Make sure to check back next week for another recap of what’s been going on in the world of the Miami Heat.