The rejection of his extension, the appearance of his agent Rich Paul to discuss future terms and open confession about his desire to win have all raised eyebrows in the NBA community, hinting at one possible conclusion– De’Aaron Fox may be seeking a change. And as Fox’s trade speculation grew, a detail from the past surfaced that could prove beneficial for the Miami Heat.

On The Hoop Collective, Tim MacMahon said, “Now, if Fox is going to ask out, it seems like the tea leaves are pointing that way. Still, I’m not sure it’s definite. When you’re appearing on podcasts with Draymond Green and laying groundwork, you can see how people read into it.”

Further discussing the possibilities surrounding the 27-year-old, the ESPN insider brought up a connection that hadn’t been popular before. MacMahon pointed out, “If Fox asks out, teams like San Antonio and Houston are the ones to watch. I’ve also heard rumors about the Lakers, but it’s hard to tell how much of that is just speculation because he’s a Klutch client.” However, there’s another team that could emerge as a serious contender for Fox. “There’s also been talk about Miami, given his connection to Bam Adebayo,” he added.

While Fox hasn’t asked for a trade, during his recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, he expressed his desire to win a championship. The Kings had offered him a $165 million extension, but he rejected it. Explaining his decision, Fox said, “For me, man, it has all to do with the team, the organization, where are we going. I wanna make sure that we’re in a position to try to win in the future because that’s ultimately what I wanna do.” So, although he wants to stay with the Kings, he’s not willing to compromise on his goal of winning a title.

This raised even more concerns. And to top it off, the connection between Fox and Jimmy Butler’s Miami teammate, Bam Adebayo, could potentially come into play. Their bond dates back to their college days at Kentucky, where they spent just one season together (2016-17). However, it grew into a brotherly relationship that continues to thrive in the NBA. Not only that, but Swipa even refers to Bam as “dawg,” a nickname that came to light when the former posted a birthday wish for him this year.

Their bond could certainly work in favor of Heat President Pat Riley and Co. helping them deal with the recent distractions related to Jimmy Butler’s trade rumors.

De’Aaron Fox’s trade to Miami Heat could solve their recent distraction

Jimmy Butler’s trade rumors have been circulating since the summer, and they’ve only intensified as the trade window has opened. While the franchise hasn’t been keen on handing the veteran a $113 million extension, the constant trade inquiries have pushed Heat President Pat Riley to step forward with a statement to put the speculations to rest.

“We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear – We are not trading Jimmy Butler,” The Godfather said.

Butler’s current deal, which earns him $49 million, will expire at the end of this season. In the following year, he holds a $52 million player option, which he reportedly plans to decline and instead enter free agency next summer. As this could be a serious issue for the Heat, they could leverage Bam Adebayo’s relationship with De’Aaron Fox to potentially fill the huge void that Butler’s absence could leave.

Fox has been averaging 26.2 points per game this season, which is more than Jimmy’s 18.5 points, and could also be less injury-prone than the veteran forward. Keep an eye actively on the trade window to find out if this potential move comes to fruition.