Almost curtains call on the NBA trade deadline. With barely a day left, the Miami Heat are sitting idle and no, a Jimmy Butler trade hasn’t turned up at their doorsteps yet. Despite multiple suspensions and public claims of discontent, the 35-year-old’s future in the league and with his current team remains stagnant. The Butler-Heat saga refuses to end because now a new chapter is unfolding. However, the drama may not be over, but a resolution feels closer. With each passing day, the chances of Jimmy Buckets staying—at least until the season’s end—keep growing.

For now, Miami’s rollercoaster ride with its star isn’t slowing down. Jimmy Butler keeps pushing for a trade. And boss, Pat Riley listens but won’t let him go for nothing. At the same, Jimmy’s defiance has earned him three suspensions. At this point, a Miami reunion feels like a long shot. But, the Heat beat reporter Ira Winderman informed that an anonymous player of Butler’s team has expressed:

“The roster would embrace a Butler who would return at the top of his game.” There are no secrets that Miami’s locker room isn’t happy with the 6x All-Star forward. As Rachel Nichols recently revealed, there is discontent amongst the team. And Butler’s unavailability has been somewhat of a nuisance for them.

He’s been ‘trying’ to find his joy back in Miami, but failing. Thus with recent behavioral updates on the superstar, he must get back to his top form. That is if Miami keeps him on their roster. Else, a new trade might just be on its way. Well, Jimmy Butler’s actions scream self-sabotage. The Heat have felt the impact, stumbling to a 4-7 record in recent weeks. Now, they sit seventh in the East.

Meanwhile, tension with Pat Riley keeps boiling. If a trade doesn’t happen by the deadline, Miami might take a drastic step—shutting Butler down for the season. Better that than letting him linger in uncertainty. However, the latest updates suggest that the Miami Heat would surely trade Jimmy on the cusp of the trade deadline.

Simply put, the team seems to have decided what lies ahead for their once-upon-a-time superstar. Where will he land? What is Pat Riley brewing?

Is Jimmy Butler finally being traded somewhere?

Sam Amick of The Athletic might have the answers to the highly anticipated question of the NBA. Is Pat Riley sending Jimmy Butler away? Speaking on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, the insider shared the information that might bring some relief to the Heat fans. “I’d say yes,” he said when asked whether the 35-year-old is getting traded or not. “I think we’ll see if they [Miami Heat] can get it done. But, I do think, for putting a dollar on it,” Amick continued. “that gets done.”

Moreover, the rift between Butler and the franchise has raised the temperature in Miami, the tension is intense and it’s miserable too. “And they know… it’s so dysfunctional. I don’t know, I’ve even seen two sides go at each other like this,” Sam Amick further noted. It is no secret that the odd situation between Jimmy and the Heat is a rare sight to behold (or maybe not). Both sides have been extremely vocal and public about the matters they should be discussing within the four walls of an office room.

Meanwhile, the veteran power forward has turned into a somewhat laughing stock for the fans, critics, and even franchises like the Golden State Warriors. They were eager to sign the star, they still might be. But to tell them, he doesn’t want an extension? Bold move. Everything has come to a point where no one is willing to approach Jimmy Butler. First, because of his age. And, second, because of the recurring patterns and behavior he’s shown in all the teams he’s been a part.

It is indeed a complicated situation for the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler. Good riddance seems like the best plan. But where, who, and how? There are answers that not just the audience, but both parties need. And at this point, maybe, a trade (that is if any) could resolve part of the problems. The rest? Who knows?