ReGrade the trade: Heat land a superstar in franchise-altering deal
We dive into the regrade of the franchise-altering move that brought star Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat.
When LeBron James left the Miami Heat abruptly in the summer of 2014, it put the franchise in limbo of where to pivot.
The next direction of the team was uncertain, following a few years of mediocrity. During this time, "Heat Culture" really took off. The team was too good to tank but too bad to truly contend. That is until the arrival of Jimmy Butler.
Butler initially wanted to be a part of the culture during the 2018-2019 season, when he requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves reportedly demanded Bam Adebayo in any trade to land Butler, which put the Heat’s pursuit on hold. Butler was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers instead.
Once the All-NBA talent finished his short 76ers tenure and was set to hit the free agent market; he knew he had control of his legacy and where he really wanted to be. That summer, he made his way to Miami.