Miami couldn’t have asked for a worse start to Christmas morning. The collective fear has finally manifested as Jimmy Butler is seemingly on his way out. News broke earlier today that the six-time NBA All-Star wants a trade away from the Heat before the February 6 deadline. This could’ve been averted if Kevin Durant made a definitive decision last year that would’ve landed him in Miami instead of Phoenix. How exactly? Stephen A. Smith has the answer.

KD and the Suns are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons this season. The rough patch they’ve found themselves in is doing no favor to their playoff aspirations, as the Suns are one place off of the play-in spot. The picture could’ve also been different in the East as the Heat are in the middle of the pack. “I think Kevin Durant could’ve, if he had landed there, that would’ve been an ideal landing spot for him in terms of the structure, the cohesiveness, the leadership that they have from the top on down. He could’ve benefited from that, but that’s not what happened,” Stephen A. said on the latest episode of NBA Countdown.

Had KD gone to the Heat, the team could’ve remained in championship contention last season, avoiding the post-season calamity altogether. Pat Riley probably would’ve been a happier man and his comments about Jimmy keeping his mouth shut would be out of the question with Durant leading the Heat.

But now that things have escalated to such a degree that Butler wants out for good, SAS believes he can have a transformative effect on the ‘soft’ Suns team. “I think Phoenix would be an ideal spot for Jimmy Butler… The Phoenix Suns are incredibly talented, but in the eyes of a lot of people in the NBA, they’re also incredibly soft. They lack toughness,” the First Take host argued. “They have greatness in Kevin Durant. They have greatness in Devin Booker, but they’re not considered rough riders.”

Not only that, Jimmy is the answer to this issue Mike Budenholzer is facing at the moment. The Suns’ defensive ratings are 27th in the league and Butler’s toughness could be the answer they’re looking for. “That gets eradicated if Jimmy Butler rolls up in that locker room. Instantly, he rolls up in there knowing what he could do in the postseason, knowing how he’ll get in people’s faces and hold them accountable. You won’t hear any questions about Phoenix’s toughness if Jimmy Butler arrives,” SAS concluded.

NBA Countdown panelist Kendrick Perkins also agreed with the general idea of the Suns being soft and even called them softer than “funeral home music”. He also blamed Pat Riley for the Jimmy Butler situation and the player in question might even agree to that.

Jimmy Butler is reportedly unhappy with Heat’s treatment

As of Christmas morning, Jimmy Butler has yet to put in a trade request, officially. That’s a smart thing, knowing the league could fine him up to $15,000 for publicly expressing a desire to be traded. But reports are already suggesting Jimmy’s time in Miami is up. From the player’s perspective, things could’ve been handled differently to avoid this scenario.

According to the Miami Herald, “A source said that Butler was caught off guard when Heat president Pat Riley, during a May news conference, scolded him for saying that ‘Boston would be at home’ and ‘New York damn sure would be [expletive] at home’…. According to a source, Butler was also disappointed that the Heat did not publicly deny a Dec. 10 ESPN report that Miami was open to trading him.”

And guess what? Butler is skipping the Miami Heat Christmas Day party at Riles’ home. Not that he never missed that before, but given the current situation, there could be more to what meets the eye.

If the trade eventually happens, the Warriors and the Suns look to be in prime position to swoop up the 36-year-old. It was clear earlier that Butler will not opt-in for the $52 million player option. The Suns will need to move a significant piece from their failed ‘Big 3′ of Durant, Booker, and Bradley Beal, with the last one looking more viable than the other two. The Heat previously refrained from trading Beal from the Wizards before the Suns’ move materialized last season. So that’s another twist in the tail as the saga keeps developing. Not that we didn’t expect that. After all, this is the trade of Playoff Jimmy we’re talking about.